Red Pepper Pesto

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This red pepper pesto is made with jarred roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, parmesan, basil, and garlic. It's thick, spoonable, and ready in 15 minutes for pasta, bread, soup, and sandwiches.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 108kcal

Author: Sarah Jenkins

Ingredients

12 oz jar roasted red peppers drained well and patted dry
½ cup walnuts
½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly granted
3 cloves garlic
½ cup fresh basil leaves lightly packed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed

Instructions

Place the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Drain the roasted red peppers thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels.
Add the roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, Parmesan, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt, and several grinds of black pepper to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and combined.
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process just until the pesto is thick and spoonable. Add a little more olive oil only if needed to reach the desired consistency.
Taste and adjust the salt, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes as needed.

Notes

Drain the peppers well and pat them dry, or the pesto can turn out watery instead of thick.
Watch the walnuts while they toast. They go from fragrant to burnt quickly.
For a thicker pesto, use a little less olive oil. To loosen it for pasta, add extra olive oil or a splash of pasta water.
Parmesan adds salt, so taste before adding more.
Three garlic cloves makes a bold, garlicky pesto. Use one or two for a milder garlic flavor.
Cut back on the red pepper flakes, or leave them out, for a milder pesto.
Store the pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in small portions (I like using ice cube trays to freeze the sauce in cubes, then transferring them a ziplock bag) for up to 3 months.

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