Recipes from your herb garden: Deep-flavoured Oregano Pesto Rosso

THE HERBS in our garden are growing like weeds right now, especially our sturdy oregano plants. Here’s a simple, scrumptious, red oregano pesto that has replaced the basil variety as our all-time favorite. It tastes wonderful straight out of the jar on bread, or with pasta, or stuffed in grilled/baked large mushroom caps (recipe to follow).

Oregano Pesto Rosso 
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
Oregano leaves, min. 4 cups
100g pine nuts, gently roasted/fried till golden brown
100g Parmesan (preferably Reggiano), finely grated
5-10 fresh garlic cloves (depending on their size and your taste), coarsley chopped
100-150g sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsley chopped
2dl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and while adding the olive oil in a steady stream, blend the mixture to a smooth, but still slightly coarse texture (or smoother if you prefer). Season with salt and pepper to taste. To store, place the pesto in a glass container and cover with a generous layer of olive oil. The pesto stays fresh in the refrigerator for at least one month.

Do you have a favorite pesto sauce that features an out-of-the-ordinary herb? If so, please share it with us becaue we love to try new variations on classic recipes.