Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto is sweet, smoky, savory and utterly delicious. Made with fire-roasted peppers and sweet roasted garlic, it's the kind of sauce you'll want to keep in the fridge to spoon over pasta, vegetables, eggs, grilled meats, fish, chicken, and so much more.

What makes this Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Different? While this recipe takes a little more time than versions made with jarred roasted peppers, roasting both the peppers and garlic yourself creates a deeper, sweeter, more complex flavor.

The peppers become smoky and concentrated, while the roasted garlic becomes mellow, sweeter and almost caramelized. If you have the time, I think the extra step is absolutely worth it.

This pesto adds a delicious bold flavor to all sorts of dishes. The touch of sweetness and subtle smokiness of the roasted red peppers, combined with sweet roasted garlic, is outstanding with the traditional basil, pine nuts and Parmesan.

From a warm slice of rustic bread and pasta to creamy scrambled eggs and fruit-filled salads, the uses for this pesto are limitless!

Ingredient Notes

• red bell peppers - Choose peppers that are firm, deeply colored and slightly shiny.
• garlic - Unlike a more traditional pesto, the garlic will be roasted for this red pesto recipe so it will be mellow and sweet. Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots. (If you prefer not to roast the garlic, for a sharper flavor, use about 4 small to medium-sized garlic cloves.)
• pine nuts - The pine nuts will be toasted before we add them to the recipe, to deepen their flavor and bring their oils to their surface.
• grated Parmesan - Use Parmigiano Reggiano if possible. Substitutions: Pecorino Romano, Asiago, or Manchego.
• fresh basil leaves - Look for perky bunches and avoid any brown, bruised or yellow leaves. Typically the smaller baby leaves are softest with a subtle sweetness, whereas larger leaves can sometimes be a tad bitter and a bit thicker.

How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Recipe tip: Instead of roasting raw peppers from scratch, you can purchase jarred, roasted peppers. If you do this, be sure they are thoroughly drained and dried. This is an easy way to speed up the recipe if you need to.

- Place the peppers, one or two at a time, directly on top of a high flame on the stove. Use kitchen tongs to turn them as each side chars.

- When they're evenly charred, remove them from the burners, place them in a large stainless steel bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let them steam for 10 minutes. (Alternately, you can put them in a brown bag and fold/roll the top to make it airtight.)

- Once they're cool enough to work with, use your hands to peel off the skin and remove the stems.

- Use a paring knife (or your hands) to make a slit vertically down each pepper to open it. Remove the seeds and trim away the membranes from the inside.

- Use paper towels to dry the roasted peppers on both sides. Place one layer below them and then another on top and gently press down. Then roughly chop them. Set aside.

Recipe Tip: Peppers have a high water content, so the better you dry them once they’re roasted, the thicker the pesto will be.

- Add the pine nuts to a small sauté pan and place it over medium-low heat. Shaking the pan gently to move them around often, heat just until they’re golden, very aromatic and look oily. Set them aside to cool. Watch them carefully, as they can go from golden to burnt quickly.

- Add the peppers, along with the roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, salt and a few turns of pepper, to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until it’s relatively smooth, add the oil and blend once more.

Recipe Tip: The garlic can be roasted up to four days ahead, and the peppers can be roasted up to two days ahead. Both should be refrigerated and in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. The garlic should be roasted before you begin!

The pesto will likely be loose, which is perfect if you’re using it as a sauce for pasta, chicken, rice, etc.

Pro Tip: If you want it to be thicker, and spreadable consistency, strain it. Be sure to save the liquid as it’s absolutely delicious on its own and is a sauce in and of itself.

Variations

• Other pepper varieties. You can substitute the red peppers with other colors of bell peppers or Poblanos, Hatch chiles, Anaheims, Piquillos, or other sweet or mild peppers. The flavors will vary with each pepper.
• Other fresh herbs. Feel free to experiment with various fresh herbs. You can try oregano, flat-leaf parsley, marjarom, or any combination of them. Arugula (Rocket) would also be super delicious as an alternative to the basil, as it would add a sharp peppery flavor.
• Try other nuts. It's always fun to make pesto with different types of nuts. Try toasted walnuts or pecans.
• Vegan option. Substitute the Parmesan cheese with ½ cup cashews plus 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, and a few pinches of salt. You can also use more of the pine nuts instead of the cheese, or add a second nut like almonds, pecans or cashews.
• Spicy version. Add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, or add it to taste, like this.
• Make it heartier. Add a handful of kale or spinach.

How to Make Pesto Without a Food Processor

• If you don’t have a food processor, a high-speed blender will work well for this pesto recipe.
• For a classic basil pesto, a mortar and pestle can be used. That won’t work for the red pepper pesto though. You can however super finely chop all of the ingredients. It will take more time and a little muscle, so a smaller batch might be easier.

Serving Suggestions

Though pesto sauce is most commonly served with a pasta dish, it’s incredibly versatile and the uses for it are endless. Here are a few other delicious ideas:

• Spread it into wraps and sandwiches.
• Use it as a dip for crudité and pita chips.
• It’s amazing on pizzas! Check out this Basil Pesto Pizza.
• Roasted Red Pepper Pesto is also excellent with eggs, especially mixed into scrambled eggs.
• Add it to soups.
• Roast vegetables with it. (I love it with zucchini and eggplant!)
• Add a layer of it to lasagna, or use it as the lasagna sauce.
• It’s a really delicious sauce for chicken, salmon, and shrimp.
• Much like my Red Goddess Sauce, it's fantastic with grilled steak.
• And of course, it’s delightful just spread on a crusty slice of bread.

How long will it last?

In a tightly sealed container or jar, Roasted Red Pepper Pesto should last about 5 days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze pesto?

Yes, you can freeze this pesto. In an airtight container it should keep well in the freezer for about 4 months. To thaw it, place it in the refrigerator a day or two before you want to use it.

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I hope you love Roasted Red Pepper Pesto as much as my family and I do!