You might be familiar with traditional forms of pesto, typically pounded with a medley of verdant greens, nuts and a hard cheese. However, have you encountered a red pesto, supported by an ensemble cast that includes a whole roasted red pepper, sunflower seeds and creamy feta (to name a few of the star ingredients!). The result is as versatile as it is uniquely-delicious, set apart by a mix of flavours from bright and creamy to nutty, toasted and tangy!
Enjoy this red pesto tossed with your favourite pasta (we love pairing it with Pink Harvest Farm’s Red Lentil Fusilli) or slathered on sourdough and between sandwiches. You can also quite simply serve it as a dip with lots of crackers to dunk in!
Red Pepper “Pesto”
Ingredients
- 1 whole red pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)
- 2 garlic coves, chopped
- hefty pinch of red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan, grated
- sea salt & black pepper as per taste
Instructions
- Soften the sun-dried tomatoes by adding them to a pot of lightly-salted boiling water for about a minute or so. Drain and let the tomatoes cool down in a colander.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet Add the walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and sunflower seeds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook this mixture on medium low heat for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and the nuts are toasted.
- Meanwhile, char the red pepper on an open flame. Once lightly roasted, cover it in a bowl/ pot for 10-15 minutes. Once cooled down, peel the skin.
- Add the whole roasted red pepper to the jar of your mixie/ food processor. Add the tomato paste & nutty mixture (make sure it has cooled down first), parmesan and feta. Give it a quick blitz , pulsing until it starts to crumble and form a paste. Then add ¼ cup of olive oil and blitz again until it blends into a smooth paste.
- Season with sea salt and pepper as per taste. You can also adjust the flavours as you like, adding a bit more cheese or even stirring in cream to make it richer.
- You can store your red pesto in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. It tastes wonderful with pasta or simply as a dip with crackers or even as a dressing tossed with roasted veggies!
Enjoyed This Red Pepper Pesto?
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