Sweet Pepper Pesto Food

ITALIAN SWEET PEPPER PESTO, AMALFI COAST STYLE

Steps:

• Clean the peppers; slice off the tip and stem, then make a slit down the side. Scrape away the seeds and membranes, then thinly slice the peppers crosswise.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the peppers, basil, and garlic and pulse a few times just to incorporate the ingredients. Add the almonds, Parmigiano, and salt and continue to pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• With the machine running, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and process until the ingredients are creamy and well-blended. Taste for salt, and adjust to taste, if necessary.
• Once finished, scrape the pesto into a small bowl and pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to prevent oxidation before use.

SWEET PEPPER PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Toss peppers with oil and garlic powder; spread evenly in a greased 15x10x1-in. pan. Roast until tender, 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly., Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl., Stir in pesto, olives and peppers. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. Sprinkle with cheese.

PESTO-CORN GRILLED PEPPERS

Steps:

• For pesto, combine 1/2 cup oil, grated cheese, basil, sunflower kernels and garlic in a blender; cover and process until blended., In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped red pepper; cook and stir until tender. Add corn and pesto; heat through., Halve peppers lengthwise; remove seeds. Grill peppers, covered, over medium heat, cut side down, 8 minutes. Turn; fill with corn mixture. Grill 4-6 minutes longer or until tender. If desired, sprinkle with shredded cheese.

THREE PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Place the Parmesan cheese and olive oil in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Add the red bell pepper, basil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; blend again until smooth.

SWEET PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Grill or bake the peppers till the thin skins are black; this usually takes about 20 minutes.
• Take them out and put them into a plastic bag; they will soften and become moist, and the skin will peel off. Rinse the peppers to get rid of any flakes of burnt skin.
• Process the peppers, the pine nuts, and the olive oil in a blender till you obtain a creamy paste; thin it to a looser paste if you want, with more olive oil. If adding fresh basil, make sure the leaves are washed and patted dry before adding to the blender jar.
• Add salt and ground pepper to taste.
• Keep in a well-covered jar in the fridge, and use it up within two weeks.

PEPPER, PESTO & SWEETCORN CALZONES

Steps:

• Make up the bread mix to pack instructions, reserving a little of the flour for dusting, and leave to prove for 30 mins.
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and cut into quarters. Roll each ball of dough to a circle, roughly 20cm wide. Spread a little passata over each base, leaving a border of about 1cm around the edge. Season well.
• Top with the peppers, sweetcorn, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and blobs of pesto. Fold each base in half, to make a half-moon shape, then squeeze the edges together, rolling them a little to stick and create a seal. Cover the tray with cling film and leave for 10 mins. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Brush the calzones all over with beaten egg, then bake for 25-30 mins or until puffed and golden brown. Serve with dressed salad leaves.

ROAST PEPPER PESTO WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the roasted garlic cloves. In the small bowl of a food processor, whizz the roasted peppers, garlic, cayenne, almonds, Parmesan and oil until it makes a rough pesto consistency. Taste and season.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan with the pesto, basil and a little of the cooking water, then heat through. Serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.