Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Today I can proudly say that Aaron and I finally are moved in to our new apartment! Yay! All we need is chairs for our "dining room" table.

I have a very stylist fiancé if you can't tell!

As you should be able to tell, we have a very small apartment in Philadelphia. But nonetheless it's ours for the next 12 plus months! Our building even has a pool!

I can't wait to show you more of our new home once its established. And of course, all the food I will be making in our little kitchen!

But I promise I won't put the video "tour" Aaron produced on my iPhone which includes a failed attempt by me to demonstrate how the bed folds out. That's not fair to you my readers.

We even have a pretty decent view.



But since we were busy from Thursday to Sunday moving in and do not have internet yet, I must make up for it with a recipe. 

Yes! Remember those?

I think you'll like this one.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto.

Earlier last week I started getting cravings for ingredients: roasted red peppers, anchovies, basil, parmesan crostinis....so I got to work.

After getting a couple of ideas mostly from here at GirlChef, I came up with my own recipe which has a little more flavor and stands up to pasta or other dishes that might dilute the pesto yumminess.

YOU BETTER TRY IT NOW!! It's too easy to let this one slip through your fingertips people!

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto: 

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

14 oz. of Roasted red peppers (A jar and a half)
1/2 cup of shelled walnuts
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup fresh basil (mix of green and purple)
can of anchovy fillets (or 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. of anchovy paste)
1/4-12 cup of grated Parmesan
Good quality olive oil
Coarse salt
Black Pepper
Juice and zest of half a lemon
White balsamic or similar type of vinegar

Directions:

In a food processor (or blender) add red peppers, garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil. Blend well until mostly smooth.

Next add walnuts, basil, anchovies, and Parmesan and blend well.

Add additional olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon to taste. If needed, add vinegar to the mixture a 1/2 tsp. at a time. You DO NOT want to add to much vinegar so be sparing.



There is so much you can do with this recipe and it is so easy, just blend.

First time I made it I used whole wheat penne.

The perfected recipe was the pesto tossed with orecchiette pasta. yum.

This can also be used as a great salad dressing with a little more olive oil or as an appetizer on top of Parmesan crotinis! Instant party classic!


Enjoy!

Love,

The College Cuisiner