This Roasted Red Pepper Toasted Walnut Pesto is flavor packed and full of nutrition. The roasted red peppers are vibrant in color and taste. The toasted walnuts adds depth to the mix and the lemon juice elevates all the flavors.
There is so much goodness about roasted peppers and there are so many ways to use them. I really love the way the house smells after roasting them which remindes me of a story my friend Beto told me. When he was a kid and his friends came over to his house, he would get really embarrassed by the smell because his mom was always roasting them. I didn’t understand that because I remember smelling them at my friends houses and I loved it. Now roasted peppers are everywhere, thank goodness because I don’t know what the world would be like without them.
This versitile pesto is really nice as a dip for vegetables, slathered on toasted pita bread, crackers or crostinis. It’s perfect tossed into pasta, added in sandwiches or wraps as well as on toast for breakfast.
Pair this pesto with a Prosecco, Beaujolais, Chianti, Pino Noir and Red Rioja.
Roasted Red Pepper Toasted Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
- Medium Red Bell Peppers - roasted
- 1 Cups Raw Walnuts - toasted
- 1/4 Cup Toasted Walnut Oil
- 3/4 Cup Aged Asiago Cheese - finely shredded
- 2 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice about 1/2 Lemon
- 2 Teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Sweet or Hot Paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
- Dash of Black Pepper
Instructions
Walnuts
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Spread out the walnuts on a baking sheet.
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Toast walnuts until they start to brown and smell toasted about 7 to 10 minutes.
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Make sure and check them frequently so they don’t burn. Cool completely.
Peppers
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Roast the peppers on the stove top on medium-high heat. A gas stove works the best but it will work fine on an electric stove.
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Char the peppers on all sides turning with a pair of tongs.
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When good and charred, steam them for at least 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut to hold in the steam.
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Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char.
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Slice in half, remove the seeds and stems.
Pesto
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Put everything in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree.
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Serve or refrigerate.
Health Benefits:
Red Bell Peppers are matured green bell peppers and have more nutrition as they mature. They are super high in vitamin A which helps to support healthy eyesight, especially night vision and are extremely high in vitamin C, so much so they have twice as much as an orange which makes it really good for the skin. Red peppers are one of the highest veggies in lycopene and have been successfully tested in the prevention of many cancers. They have a good source of the antioxidant mineral manganese and B-complex and vitamin E. They help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol, helps controls diabetes and helps reduce pain. They are also a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, molybdenum and manganese.
