Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Something very lovely happens to red peppers when you roast them. They become infused with an irresistible aroma and filled with a sweet syrup. This recipe uses roasted red peppers to make a rich pesto that is delicious on pasta, bruschetta, polenta, etc. The options are endless.

One of my very first blog posts was about my friend Tonyas amazing red peppers which she grows on the rooftop of her garage in downtown Toronto. I was blown away that she could grow such bounty on her city rooftop, and I made this video with her, showing her pepper harvest and the creation of her wonderful roasted red pepper ketchup.

The gorgeous peppers I used in my pesto are a variety called Carmen. They were grown organically by our friends at Banner Farm, and their flavor is outstanding! However, you can use regular red bell peppers instead. Any sweet red pepper will do. Do try to find farm-fresh Carmen peppers if you can though, in my opinion they do have more flavor.

Though it may look alarming at first glance, roasted peppers should have fully charred skins in order to get that deep roasted flavor. Dont be afraid to singe them well, the burnt skin slips off very easily and youll be left with nothing but the tender red smoky-tasting flesh inside. However, do take your time, the charring shouldnt happen too fast because the pepper needs time to cook and soften all the way through.

I roasted my peppers on a wood fire but you can do it over any flame (a propane gas burner is fine), or as a last resort, roast them in the oven. Once they are soft and well blackened, remove them and place them in a lidded pot or in a paper bag. Avoid using a plastic bag because it could melt.

There are many variations of this recipe. You could use almonds instead of the walnuts, or basil instead of the parsley. Feel free to play around with it to suit your personal tastes. Bon appétit!

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog award in the video category.