Roasted Red Pepper Pesto is a sweet and tangy sauce featuring classic Italian ingredients, including roasted red peppers, fresh basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, garlic, and toasted pine nuts. Enjoy it as a pasta or pizza sauce, sandwich spread, or as a dipping sauce for crusty bread!
Toast pine nuts - Add the pine nuts in a single layer to a dry skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook the pine nuts and stir occasionally to toast both sides of the nuts. Keep a close eye to ensure the pine nuts do not burn. Cook until golden and toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate in a single layer to cool. This will also stop the pine nuts from further cooking or burning.
2 tablespoon pine nuts
Blend cheese, pine nuts, and garlic - Add in cheese, pine nuts, and garlic to the processor container. Pulse until the mixture is well-blended and forms a sandy texture, about 30 seconds.
⅔ cup parmigiano-reggiano, ½ cup pecorino romano, 2 garlic cloves
Add roasted red peppers and basil - Add roasted red peppers and basil to the container and blend. Stream in olive oil while blending, then season with salt to taste. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
12 oz roasted red peppers, ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
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Notes
StorageRefrigerate leftover pesto in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Before you store it, add a thin layer of olive oil to seal out the air and prevent the sauce from oxidizing and turning brown. You can also freeze the pesto for up to 6 months. When you are ready to enjoy it, let it thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.Top Tips
Drain the red peppers thoroughly before adding them to the food processor or the excess water will make the pesto too wet and dilute the flavor.
Do not turn your back on the pine nuts while they are cooking because they can burn easily!
Use a baking spatula to scrape all of the red pesto sauce from the food processor to eliminate food waste.
If you store leftover pesto, be sure to mix it again before using it because the ingredients can separate while stored.
Use almonds or walnuts instead of pesto for a similar result.