Red Pepper Pesto Sauce
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Last Updated on June 8, 2020 by Lisa Johnson
No basil, no problem! This Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Sauce is just as easy to make and is a delicious addition to steaks, pasta and pizza. I saw an ad for some ready made meal service on Facebook and I knew that I had to try it! It was just an image of a steak with the sauce, no recipe or even any details. Challenge accepted!!
I decided to keep things simple and use the same basic ingredients that you would find in a traditional pesto, and the results were amazing!
Ingredients needed to make this recipe:
- Red Bell Peppers
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Parmesan Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Cayenne Pepper
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
Roasted red bell peppers tend to be on the sweet side, so I added a bit of cayenne to offset the flavor and it worked perfectly. The sauce is smooth, tangy and packed with flavor!
How to make Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Sauce
Turn on oven and set to the BROIL setting. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the bell peppers on top.
Place under the broiler until the skin starts to blacken and bubble. Turn the peppers 1/4 turn each time until the pepper are completely charred. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to allow peppers to sweat and cool down enough to handle.
Remove the skins and seeds from the peppers
and discard. I used the plastic wrap that had been used to cover the bowl.
Place the peppers, toasted walnuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, cayenne and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor.
Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Adjust seasonings as needed and serve.
This sauce would also be delicious on fries or served as a dip.
Recipe Notes:
- To toast walnuts in the oven: Place in a 375 degree oven spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until they just start to brown and become fragrant.
- To toast walnuts on the stove: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place a single layer of walnuts in the hot, dry pan and cook stirring frequently until they start to brown and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Substitute pine nuts for the walnuts if desired.
- Store unused sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- This recipe makes about 1 cup of sauce, 16 Tablespoons.
More delicious sauce recipes:
Recipes to use red pepper pesto sauce in:
- Roast Beef Pesto Panini
- Pesto Mac and Cheese
- Shrimp Pesto Pizza
- Sirloin Chimichurri Steak – substitute the red pepper pesto sauce for the chimichurri like I did
Enjoy!!
Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Sauce
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers
- ½ cup walnuts lightly toasted
- 1 large clove garlic
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese I used Parmisano-Reggiano
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper use more or less based on your family's tastes
Instructions
- Turn on oven and set to the BROIL setting. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the bell peppers on top.
- Place under the broiler until the skin starts to blacken and bubble. Turn the peppers a 1/4 turn with tongs on each side until the peppers are completely charred. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to allow peppers to sweat and cool down enough to handle.
- Remove the skins and seeds from the peppers and discard. I used the plastic wrap that had been used to cover the bowl.
- Place the peppers, toasted walnuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, cayenne and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor.
- Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Adjust seasonings as needed and serve.
Notes
- To toast walnuts in the oven: Place in a 375 degree oven spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until they just start to brown and become fragrant.
- To toast walnuts on the stove: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place a single layer of walnuts in the hot, dry pan and cook stirring frequently until they start to brown and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Substitute pine nuts for the walnuts if desired.
- Store unused sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- This recipe makes about 1 cup of sauce, 16 Tablespoons.
Nutrition
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