Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
This Roasted Red Pepper Pesto is the perfect sauce for pasta, fish, pizza, or even just toasted bread!
Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love pesto sauce, but you can only eat it so often until you are kind of burned out. So today we are leveling up pesto by transforming it into a roasted red pepper version!
Pepper pesto sauce is also a great way to eat pasta without it being super heavy (like alfredo sauce) and loaded with dairy, like cream and butter. Speaking of lighter sauces, don’t miss my Greek Yogurt Alfredo Sauce!
More Pesto Recipes to Try:
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Chicken Bake
- Garlic Seared Scallops With Pesto Zoodles
- Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta With Veggies | Dairy-free, Gluten-free
- Dairy-free Cashew Pesto
- 5 Minute Pea Pesto | Nut-free And Vegan
Ingredients for Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Pasta – choose your fav! Banza is a great choice, packed with protein and gluten free! You may also want to try Palmini Noodles
Roasted Red Peppers – be sure to drain the juice but don’t rinse them!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Parmesan – the grated kind
Fresh Basil – to get the full effects of pesto you will want to use fresh
Pine nuts
Garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Pesto with Red Peppers
Go ahead and cook your pasta according to the box. In the meantime, we will start making the pesto sauce.
In a blender, add the pine nuts and garlic cloves and pulse until the pieces are small. Then add the basil, bell peppers, part of the parmesan cheese, and oil.
Pulse until the sauce is blended. Is the sauce a little dry? Add a little more olive oil and finish with the salt and pepper!
After the pasta has cooked, take out one cup of water before draining. Afterward, add the pasta back to the pot and stir in the pesto.
If you need to you can pour in a little of the pasta water at a time if it seems like it’s a little dry for your liking.
Pesto pasta is best served immediately! Top with more cheese and enjoy!
Why You Shouldn’t Heat Pesto Sauce
Most of the time if you try to reheat pesto it’s oil, greasy, and can have a bad flavor if the basil starts burning.
In this recipe, the hot pasta is what warms the pesto, so the actual sauce is never placed over heat.
How to Store and Reheat
If you want to store leftovers, it’s best to NOT mix the pasta and sauce together, instead portion the pasta on a plate, then scoop out individual servings of the pesto.
You can store the pesto in an airtight container in the fridge, to use again simply allow it to come to room temperature before adding it to hot pasta.
I can’t wait to see what you think of this Red Pepper Pesto! Which pasta are you going to use?! Let me know by tagging me on Instagram!
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More Healthier Pasta Recipes:
- Gluten Free Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- The Best Goat Cheese Pasta
- No-boil Veggie Pasta Bake | Gluten-free, High-protein
- Creamy Lentil Pasta With Goat Cheese & Greens
- Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 12-14 oz pasta of choice
- 16 oz jar of Roasted Red Peppers drained, (do not rinse)
- ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 large handful of Fresh Basil
- 3 tbsp Pine nuts toasted
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin cooking your pasta of choice according to the instructions on the box/package.
- While pasta is cooking, make your pesto.
- Add pine nuts and garlic to a blender and pulse until the pieces are small. Add roasted bell peppers, basil, 1/4 cup cheese, and olive oil to the blender. Pulse again until the sauce is evenly blended. If it seems too dry for your liking, add a little more olive oil.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and your pesto is ready!
- Once the pasta is done, set aside one cup of the pasta water before draining. Once drained, return pasta to the pan and add the pesto. If it seems too dry, add a little of the pasta water.
- Mix well and serve immediately. Top with remaining grated parmesan as desired.
- Notes: Store in the fridge with a tight cover. When it comes to reheating, just bringing it to room temp. When you reheat pesto it often goes oily and the basil burns. This pesto is also delicious on pizza, toasted bread, or topped over grilled fish.
