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This combination of sweet bell peppers, salty parmesan, and fresh basil might just convince you that orange is the new green when it comes to pesto.
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Every summer I do a little garden... nothing crazy, just a few veggies and some herbs. This year I decided to try doing a "mini" garden where I grow smaller varieties of the veggies I normally grow... cherry tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, miniature eggplants, and lunchbox peppers (little bell peppers). Unfortunately the only seeds that made it to production stage were the lunchbox peppers. But let me tell you these babies thrived. I was bringing in bowls of peppers almost every morning.
Crunchy and sweet, these are great for snacking on. Know what else they're good for? Not much. Most of them were too tiny to stuff with anything and they took forever to de-seed for cooking. After a few weeks, there were so many of them and they were starting to get soft, but I was just over raw peppers. With the timer ticking on their little lives, I decided to roast them.
This was probably the most inefficient thing I could have done because I not only had to cut and de-seed them, but peel all of their skins off after they had cooked. Forty of these stinkers shrank down to just seven ounces, but it was enough to make some pesto for Game Night so I will consider it a victory.
This is a great recipe if you're looking for a fun way to use grown-up sized bell peppers and you want something that freezes well and makes a great appetizer.
What ingredients do I need to make roasted bell pepper pesto?
Bell peppers- You can do all red peppers or add in a couple orange (skip green because it isn't as sweet)
Parmesan cheese- fresh is best
Nuts- walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pine nuts are all great options
Extra virgin olive oil - using a good quality brand will make a huge difference in taste so spring for the good stuff!
Fresh basil
Garlic
Salt
Helpful products for making this recipe:
Can I prepare this recipe ahead of time?
This will keep fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge. It will turn brown once it's exposed to oxygen so make sure you put it in a container with an air-tight lid.
Can I freeze bell pepper pesto?
You can freeze this for up to three months! Just store in an air-tight container and thaw in the fridge the night before you plan to use it. I recommend giving it a good stir and adding a tad more olive oil before serving.
What goes well with roasted bell pepper pesto?
This makes a great spread for crackers or bread (my favorite is a crusty baguette). You can also use it as a sauce for pasta or as a topping for pizza.
Do I have to roast my own bell peppers?
Nope! A jar of store-bought roasted red peppers will work just fine.
How much does this recipe make?
This makes about 1 ½ cups of pesto. If you're using it as a sauce this will give you six ¼ cup servings. This will serve many more people as a spread, it just depends on how much each person uses.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Let me know!
Mention @preggkitchen or tag #preggokitchen
Did You Like It?
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Ingredients:
7 oz jarred roasted red peppers or 4 red and/or orange bell peppers
½ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup nuts- walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pine nuts are all great options
2- 2 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ tsp salt
Directions:
To roast the peppers:
Move your oven rack to the top position
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper
Cut each pepper into 4 slices, discarding the stem and seeds, and place them on the baking sheet with the skin facing up
Cook for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway
Cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until the skins have wrinkled and begun turning black on the sides
Remove and place them in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or an airtight lid for 10 minutes to let the steam loosen the skins
Remove and discard the skins. Now you're ready for pesto!
To make the pesto:
Put all of the ingredients except for the olive oil into a food processor
Begin pureeing the ingredients while slowly pouring in two cups of olive oil
Blend until everything is well combined
If you'd like your pesto thinner, you can add another ¼-½ cup of olive oil
Store pesto in the fridge in an air-tight container until ready to serve
**This will keep 2-3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer
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