Red Pepper Pesto Recipes

RED PEPPER PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot with lightly-salted water to a boil. Stir the penne into the water and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta is mostly tender but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl.
• Place the basil, red pepper, and Parmesan cheese in the bowl of a food processor; stream the olive oil into the mixture as it blends until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to coat.

RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Place peppers directly over the trivet of a gas-stove burner over high heat, or on a grill. Just as each section turns puffy and black, turn pepper with tongs to prevent overcooking. (If you don't have a gas stove, place peppers on a baking pan, and broil in the oven, turning as each side becomes charred.) Transfer peppers to a large bowl, and cover immediately with plastic wrap. Let peppers sweat until they are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes; then transfer to a work surface. Peel off the blackened skin and discard.
• Coarsely chop peppers and transfer to a food processor. Add pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil in a steady stream. Continue processing, scraping down the sides as needed until pureed. Season with salt and pepper.

RED PEPPER-BASIL PESTO PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pesto: Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the peppers on a baking sheet, rub them with the canola oil and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Roast until they are slightly charred and soft, turning several times, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let them steam for 10 minutes. Remove the skins and seeds.
• Put the peppers, garlic, basil and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and pulse to emulsify. Add the cheese and salt and pepper, to taste and pulse a few more times just to combine. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.
• For the pizza: Light a grill to high heat.
• Roll the pizza dough into 2 (12-inch) circles, brush the top with some canola oil, and season them with salt and black pepper, to taste. Put them on the grill, oiled side down, and grill until the bottoms are slightly charred and golden brown. Brush the tops with additional oil before flipping the pizzas over. Continue grilling until the crusts are just firm, about 40 seconds.
• Transfer the shells to a baking sheet, top each with some of the pesto, mozzarella and shaved Parmigiano and return them to the grill. Close the cover and grill until the cheese melts. Remove the pizzas from the grill and finish the pizza with some sliced red onion and handful of arugula. Slice and serve.
• Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
• Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

SPICY RED PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare the pesto: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, tomato paste, garlic and red-pepper flakes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until mixture is toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to let cool for a few minutes.
• Add the roasted red peppers and Parmesan to a food processor. Top with the cooled tomato mixture and the remaining 2/3 cup olive oil, and pulse the mixture until you form a paste. (It makes 2 cups.)
• Season the boiling water generously with salt, then add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.
• Return the pasta to the pot, along with about 1 1/2 cups of the red pesto and 1 cup of the pasta water, and stir vigorously until the sauce is glossy and the pasta is evenly coated. Stir in additional pesto or pasta water to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide among bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan and top with torn basil. Shave some fresh lemon zest on top, if using. Serve immediately.

THREE PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Place the Parmesan cheese and olive oil in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Add the red bell pepper, basil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; blend again until smooth.

ROASTED GARLIC AND RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Peel away dry outer skin from garlic head.
• Leave skins of garlic cloves intact.
• Cut off pointed top portion with a knife, leaving the head intact but exposing the individual cloves.
• Place garlic head, cut side up, in small baking dish.
• Drizzle with oil; cover and set aside.
• Halve the sweet peppers; remove stem, membranes and seeds.
• Place peppers, cut sides down, on foil lined baking sheet.
• Bake peppers and covered garlic in a 425 oven 20-25 minutes or until pepper skins are bubbly and blackened.
• Remove peppers.
• Place peppers in a clean brown paper bag and seal.
• Let stand 20-30 minutes or until peppers are cool enough to handle.
• Continue baking garlic 20-35 minutes more until garlic cloves feel soft when pressed.
• Set garlic aside to cool.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully peel peppers.
• Cut peppers into pieces.
• Remove garlic head from oil, reserve oil.
• Press to remove garlic paste from the individual cloves.
• In food processor bowl or blender container combine roasted pepper pieces, garlic paste, reserved oil, Asiago or Parmesan cheese, black pepper and salt.
• Cover and process with several on-off turns until smooth.
• When necessary, stop food processor or blender and use a rubber scraper to scrape the side of bowl or container.
• Stir in thyme.
• To store, place in airtight container and store in refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months.
• To serve, bring pesto to room temperature.