Bell pepper and almond pesto is a great dressing for pasta, bruschetta, or crostini.
Tasty and simple to make, if you have roasted bell peppers and toasted almonds ready, it can be the perfect solution for a quick summer lunch or dinner.
These simple ingredients combined with fragrant fresh basil leaves, garlic, and flavorful cheese truly gain an extra touch.
Red bell peppers are recommended for their sweeter taste.
Almonds can also be used raw, but toasting them will bring out their full aroma.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 598.50 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 24.20 (g) of which sugars 12.26 (g)
- Proteins 15.91 (g)
- Fat 53.19 (g) of which saturated 8.61 (g)of which unsaturated 19.49 (g)
- Fibers 10.29 (g)
- Sodium 294.47 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2.8 oz almonds (skinless)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1.06 oz grated Parmesan (or Grana, or Pecorino)
- 8 leaves basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch fine salt
Tools
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Blender
Steps
To prepare the bell pepper and almond pesto, wash the peppers and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake on the lower rack of a preheated oven at 340°F (170°C) with the fan setting.
With the help of roasting tongs, turn them several times during cooking.
At the same time, place a baking dish with the (peeled) almonds on the upper rack for about ten minutes.
Move the baking dish often to ensure even cooking and check they don’t burn.
When the almonds are golden, remove the baking dish from the oven and move the bell peppers to a more central level.
Depending on your oven, raise the temperature to 356-392°F (180-200°C), leaving the fan function on.
After 30/35 minutes from when we put them in the oven, when the bell peppers are soft and evenly golden brown, take the baking tray out of the oven.
Immediately close the bell peppers between two plates and let them cool until they are warm.
At this point, remove the stem, skin, and all the seeds.
In the blender jar, combine the bell peppers, one clove of garlic, about 8 basil leaves, the almonds, the Parmesan (replaceable with Grana or Pecorino), the extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt. The latter can be omitted, especially if using Pecorino.
Blend until you reach your desired consistency; I like to keep some crunch from the almonds, so I avoid over-blending.
The bell pepper and almond pesto is now ready.
Storage
Sealed in an airtight container, it keeps well for 2 or 3 days in the fridge. It can be frozen for 2 or 3 months. Defrost in the fridge.
Sealed in an airtight container, it keeps well for 2 or 3 days in the fridge. It can be frozen for 2 or 3 months. Defrost in the fridge.
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