Salmon with Paleo Sundried Tomato Pesto

For the love of pesto, it is hard as heck to make it taste good without parmesan cheese. We’ve tried to make the basic green/basil pesto a few times and it always tastes bitter. So we decided to try a sun dried tomato version to see if the tomatoes would add a sweetness that was lacking in our previous efforts. I loved it so much I was like a kid with cookie dough, using my fingers to get out every last drop. The side dish you see in the pic is a recipe we will post soon, promise.

Ingredients

Pesto

  • 1/2 c pine nuts or almonds
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 c sun dried tomatoes (in oil if you can, rehydrate per instructions if dried)
  • 1/4 c fresh parsley
  • 1/2 c fresh basil
  • 1 T tomato paste
  • 3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
  • S&P

Salmon

  • 1 lb wild caught salmon fitlets
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • S&P

For the Pesto

Preheat your oven to 400ºF . On a baking sheet,  toast your pine nuts and roast your garlic. To roast the garlic, wrap the cloves in a small piece of foil with some olive oil drizzled on top and just stick it on the baking sheet, next to the nuts. This should take about 6-8 minutes. They’ll be a nice golden brown when they’re ready. Check frequently….burned garlic and pine nuts taste horribly horrible.  Add the pine nuts, roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs to your food processor and blend. Stream in the olive oil until the pesto comes together.

For the Salmon

The salmon can have skin on or off, but make sure all the pin bones are removed by running your fingers across the center line of the salmon. They’re about the size of a sewing needle. Pat your salmon dry with a paper towel and place the fillets skin side down, on the same baking sheet you used for the nuts, but make sure you’ve oiled it with some olive oil, to prevent the skin from sticking. Drizzle the top of the fillets with olive oil and generously salt and pepper. Place in a 400°F oven for about 8 minutes or until the salmon gives slightly when you press down on it.


Comments

15 responses to “Salmon with Paleo Sundried Tomato Pesto”

  1. […] 24, 2010 by The Foodee Salmon w/ Sundried Tomato Pesto […]

  2. This is so delicious! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I bet this would be great rolled up in flattened chicken breasts, dipped in egg and almond flour and sauteed. Maybe I’ll try that tomorrow… (would be better with goat cheese – damn 30 days with no dairy!!!)

  3. Tracy Seiler

    We tried this one today and this is far and away the best pesto I’ve ever had. Awesome dish. 😉 Had it with broccoli.
    Thanks, Megan!

  4. Tracy Seiler

    OK… one more comment and then I will stop.
    We made a HUGE amount of this pesto because we loved it. It will be our standard pesto recipe from now on.
    We have used it (warning: NOT all Paleo)

    1. on this salmon
    2. on pasta
    3. on chicken
    4. on pizza

    4 nights in a row, and no one is tired of it yet.

    😉

    1. noooooooooooooooooo. please don’t stop. the comments are the ONLY way we know you’re making our recipes. so glad you like it tracy!

  5. Is the side dish in the pic Smashed Plantains? If not, what is the side dish?

  6. Virginia

    I made this on Monday, but I only had dried herbs. I just upped the amount until I liked it! It tastes great, and my husband has been putting the leftovers on just about everything since then. Thanks for the recipe!

  7. I love this pesto, amazing!

  8. We loved this recipe- the pesto is delicious! My husband is already asking me when we are going to make it again!

  9. THE PESTO! Unbelievable. Thank you!!

  10. anne macdonald

    This pesto was incredible. I did use roasted almonds instead of pine nuts and I can’t say enough about this recipe!! Thanks for your website, it is awesome!!

  11. really yummy recipe! I only had walnuts, and they worked great as a substitute.
    I also put the pesto on the salmon before I baked it, delicious!
    Will be making again and again

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