If you are looking for a light and flavorful alternative to classic pesto, this roasted pepper pesto with almonds and capers can be a great, healthy, and very tasty option. The peppers become soft and sweet when baked in a conventional oven, and together with toasted almonds, capers, pecorino and parmesan they create a wonderful contrast. The sauce will be creamy without adding cream or anything else. If you like peppers you can also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 6Servings
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients to make roasted pepper pesto with almonds and capers
- 3 bell peppers (yellow, red and green)
- 1 oz peeled almonds
- 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano (grated)
- 4 tbsp Parmesan (grated)
- 10 capers in salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste dried oregano
Tools
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Pan
- Food processor
Steps to make roasted pepper pesto with almonds and capers
To prepare the roasted pepper pesto with almonds and capers, first take the peppers — I chose one red, one yellow and one green, so about 500 grams of raw peppers (approximately 1.1 lb). Wash them well and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the conventional oven to 356°F and bake the peppers for about 40 minutes. Then place them under the broiler for 5 minutes to roast them slightly. Remove the peppers from the oven, cover them with aluminum foil and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a pan for a couple of minutes. Then peel the peppers — the skin should come off easily. Remove the seeds. Now take the food processor and add the peppers, the toasted almonds, the pecorino, the parmesan, the capers in salt (I rinsed them well under running water), and 1 generous tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil; finally add a pinch of dried oregano.
Blend everything until you obtain a smooth consistency. If it still isn’t completely smooth, you can process the pesto again in a tall cup with an immersion blender. Then adjust with additional extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste.
Storage and tips
The roasted pepper pesto keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Put it in a glass jar and cover it with a little extra virgin olive oil before closing the lid.
Since pecorino and capers are quite salty, taste before adding any extra salt.
If you don’t like parmesan you can use grated Grana Padano instead.
Add fresh basil leaves to the pesto if you like.
