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Red Pepper And Walnut Pesto

A rustic accompaniment that showcases the flavours of sun-dried tomatoes and basil, this pesto is ideal for tossing with hot pasta or serving with crusty bread.

Yield:

20 servings (1.2 l)

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Total Time:

1 hour

Size:

2.0 Litre Container

A rustic accompaniment that showcases the flavours of sun-dried tomatoes and basil, this pesto is ideal for tossing with hot pasta or serving with crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS

4 large (900 g) red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled
150g / 1½ cups walnuts
180g / 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, oil drained
30 g / 1 cup fresh basil leaves
140 g / 1 cup parmesan cheese (or soy parmesan), cubed
1 teaspoon salt, optional
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
240 ml / 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven or air fryer to 400 °F (200° C). Place the bell peppers onto a sheet tray and lightly brush the peppers with olive oil and place into the oven or air fryer. 2. Roast for 10 – 12 minutes and then add the garlic. Roast for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Once done cooking, place the roasted garlic and bell peppers into a bowl and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Let steam in the bowl for 15 – 20 minutes. When 4. slightly cool, remove the peppers from the bowl and remove the stems, skins and seeds and discard.
5. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
6. Start the blender on its lowest speed, and increase speed to Variable 6. Blend for 45 seconds, using the tamper to press ingredients towards the blades, or until desired consistency is reached. For a smooth pesto blend on the highest speed.

Chef's Notes

The oil can be omitted from this recipe, however, you will get a very thick pesto. The liquid is needed to blend these items down, so the oil can be replaced with 1/2–3/4 (120-180 ml) of water. This homemade pesto is bursting with nutrients thanks to its variety of whole food

Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1 serving (82 g)
Amount Per Servings
Calories 210
Total Fat 19 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 250 mg
Total Carbohydrate 7 g
Dietary Fibre 2 g
Sugars 2 g
Protein 4 g