Spicy marinated sun-dried tomatoes

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“What do I do with sun-dried tomatoes from a bag?” is question I hear often. The ones preserved in oil are quite straightforward, but what do you do with plain dried tomatoes?

Did you get or purchase some and would you like to prepare something nice with them? For example, a tasty antipasto for dinner (like the one in the photo below, with grilled vegetables) or an easy appetizer for a party?
Then this recipe is just what you need.

I recently prepared these with Claudio, with whom I often experiment in the kitchen, and this is his recipe (with some minor adjustments, which I learned from my mom).
They were ready in no time and very, very tasty. You can also make larger quantities and store them in a jar with sunflower or olive oil, keeping them in the refrigerator. With fresh garlic you can keep them just a few days and you can keep them longer if you use garlic powder.
If you still prefer fresh garlic cloves and want to keep them for more than a few days, blanch the garlic briefly in boiling white vinegar so that you run no unnecessary risks. Raw garlic can cause botulism if preserved in oil for a longer time. The same applies to fresh parsley: if you know you want to keep the tomatoes longer then use dried herbs.
Usually, sun-dried tomatoes are already salty enough but test them first to see if they need an extra pinch.

And now let’s get to work!

Pomodori secchi marinati

1 handful (a big one!) of sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 l. hot water
2 dl. wine vinegar or other vinegar
4 cloves of garlic, sliced, or a teaspoon of garlic powder
a few tablespoons of olive oil
a few sprigs of parsley
a few tablespoons of extra vinegar
chilli flakes or a few dried chilli peppers
if you want, add some capers in vinegar too
salt and black pepper

Soak the tomatoes for an hour in hot water with vinegar to remove the excess salt and to soften them.

Drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper.

In a small bowl or jar make layers with the tomatoes, the sliced garlic, some parsley, chilli flakes, a few drops of vinegar and, if you like, some capers. Drizzle each layer with a bit of olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper then let them rest for a while.

They are at their best when they have marinated for at least a few hours.