Early summer screams for Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Pesto; a versatile sauce that’s everyone’s favourite, and can easily help to use up all the bounty of red peppers. Tasty, easy, affordable, and homemade – could it get any better than that!?
I’m going to take a moment to start this post by telling you a little about my love/hate relationship with peppers. I cannot bring myself to eat raw peppers of any variety or colour. If they are cooked, I can eat them, however, they will majorly upset my stomach if the skin has not been removed first. That is why roasting peppers is something I do often and incorporate into my recipe posts regularly.
In my neck of the woods, red peppers are readily available, but when purchasing a large quantity for roasting purposes, it’s best to wait until late spring or early summer. That’s when red bell peppers are in abundance and extremely cheap. If you’d like to try making your own, you can check out my recipe for Roasted Red Peppers here. Or, if you’re strapped for time, you can certainly buy already made, store-bought variety.
The versatility of Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Pesto is quite impressive. Sure, the basic approach to this pesto is to toss it with your favourite cooked pasta for a quick, easy, tasty dinner. But, what about some other options? I love to smear this pesto on crostini and top it with a little sprinkling of goat cheese. It’s also really delicious used as a dip for veggies.
If you’re looking to impress, why not try this pesto instead of regular marinara sauce on your next homemade pizza? Throw on some sauteed mushrooms and onions with a little of your favourite cheese and pizza night has a whole new life.
Take a look at some of my other Roasted Red Pepper recipes for more great ideas. This Veggie Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Dip is the absolute bomb! I’ve got a delicious version of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus as well. And, my absolute favourite – Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup!
As you can see, Dear Reader, a good supply of Roasted Red Peppers can make a great pesto, such as the one featured in this blog post, but also, you can use up all of those peppers in some other really great recipes. There’s just way too many options for me to mask my enthusiasm!
Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Pesto
Pin Recipe Save Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 4 whole roasted red peppers, seeds and skin removed
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 2/3 cup whole walnuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Transfer pesto sauce to a clean, sterile mason jar and secure with a clean lid and seal.
- Refrigerate 12 hours until ingredients marry together. This pesto can be used immediately, but allowing the pesto to sit results in a more cohesive taste.
- Pesto will last up to seven days if keep in the refrigerator.
Brad Harris says
Good looking pics, great looking recipe!
Brad
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Brad. 🙂