Something a little different from the classic basil version, this deep red sundried tomato and capsicum pesto is perfect as a dip or stirred through hot pasta.
If you ever get the chance to look into my fridge you might be alarmed with the amount of jarred sauces and condiments I have lying around. It's mildly chaotic but very much a situation of controlled mess, and I feel confident in my ability to name most things in there. The main reason for my somewhat extensive condiment collection is that it allows me to spruce up any old meal very easily. I've got nut butters, oils, sauces, pickled and fermented bits and bobs, jams, chutneys, mayonnaise, aoilis... it's very much a Mary Poppin's carry-all of food-forward wonder. One thing I love to keep in there (and that which makes this story relevant to this post) is pesto.
It's so easy to buy quality pesto these days but still, nothing beats homemade. You have much more control over texture and flavour and personally I enjoy the process of experimenting with different ingredients. Pesto is so easy - once you've nailed the ratio, you're pretty much set. The versatility of pesto is wonderful. Stirring it through pasta is probably the most common use, but I love tossing it with warm boiled potatoes, smearing it on grilled white fish or using it straight up as a dip. This sundried tomato and capsicum pesto is a recent favourite. Jam packed full of flavour and richness it works to complement your food in a similar way to basil pesto, just with added smokiness from the charred pepper.
Enjoy! Andrea 🍅
Sundried Tomato and Capsicum Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 small red capsicum or 1 cup 150g jarred roasted red peppers, drained of any oil
- 1 cup 160g sundried tomatoes, drained of any oil
- ½ cup 75g whole, raw almonds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.5 cups 50g freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
- 75 mL olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- If you're using a fresh capsicum: char and blacken the skin by placing it on a rack over an open flame for 10-15 minutes.
- When the skin is black, put capsicum into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to cool slightly before removing most of the black outer skin. Cut into pieces and place into a high powered blender or food processor.
- Into the blender add remaining ingredients, and blitz at high speed, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste your pesto before you add the salt, it may be salty enough without.
- Puree pesto to your desired consistency. Decant into an airtight, sterilized jar. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on top to stop browning. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- The jarred roasted red peppers work just as well here, however if you love the smokiness, I'd highly recommend charring your own capsicum.
- If your sundried tomatoes are marinated in olive oil, you could substitute the olive oil in this recipe for 75mL of that oil.
Looking for more pesto ideas? Check out my rocket and walnut pesto or basil and walnut pesto.
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