Red Pepper, Chilli & Sundried Tomato Pesto
Pesto is really easy and fun to make, and you can experiment with all kinds of combinations of different nuts and flavours. This red pesto contains the sweet and smoky flavour of roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes, with an added little kick of chilli (you can omit the chilli if you really don’t like spice).
I like to use almonds in place of pine nuts, but I also find walnuts work great, and you can even use a combination of them!
Pesto is usually enjoyed with pasta (which is delicious!) but this pesto also works well as a sauce in chicken or fish dishes, or with veggies.
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YOU WILL NEED:
- A food processor or a high-powered blender (I use a Nutribullet Pro)
INGREDIENTS:
- 50g pine nuts (or almonds, or walnuts)
- 2 large sweet red peppers
- 1 small red chilli
- 40g sundried tomatoes
- 20g grated Parmigiano Regiano
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
METHOD:
1. De-seed the chilli and slice red peppers in half. Place them on a lined baking tray, together with the garlic cloves and season with sea salt.
2. Roast peppers and garlic in the oven (preferably under the grill) set to 200°C, until charred (don’t be afraid to let them blacken) – approx. 10 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
3. Add the peppers, chilli and garlic to a food processor or high-powered blender. Add the nuts, sundried tomatoes and grated parmesan. Pour in the olive oil and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika.
4. Process until blended together into a thick, smooth sauce. If it’s still a bit too thick, add a further Tbsp of olive oil or water to loosen the pesto slightly.
5. Transfer to a jar or airtight container, and store in the fridge.
Looking for a green pesto recipe instead? Click here!
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