Use that jar of bell pepper to good use before it goes bad. Make bell pepper pesto quickly using fresh basil and serve it as a sauce or spread. Can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.
I love those jar of bell pepper strips to put on sandwiches or in salads.
But, they go bad quickly!
How many times have I opened the jar and be met with disgusting site and smell!
So, what to do with a jar of bell peppers?
Turn them into an UNBELIEVABLE pesto recipe!
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Tips for making it
- You can use the bell pepper strips or the big bell pepper pieces that come in a jar.
- Make sure you wash the jarred bell pepper because it comes with other flavors like vinegar, etc.
- This is a vegan pesto recipe, but you can always make it vegetarian by adding fresh Parmesan. You can also add a tsp of ground flax seed.
- Tranfer it to a glass jar after you have made it. Storing it in a glass jar will keep it fresh longer
- You can also freeze it and it will last for 6 months.
- If you don’t have pine nuts, you can use almonds or walnuts. Make sure to grind them first.
- I always like to blend half of the basil first. This way, I can be sure that it will be blended evenly. It’s not important step, but I like doing it that way.
- Sometimes, I will make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes or a spicy pepper in it.
A note about the purple basil
I grow my own basil in my garden because I love having it when I am need it and it’s more fun to grow it over buying it.
This time, I decided to try and grow purple basil. Sadly, they didn’t grow completely purple like they were supposed to. I think I grew them in the shade instead of direct sunlight.
However, what grew was this AMAZING shade of purple and green basil. They are so beautiful and I almost didn’t have the heart to harvest them.
And, they taste so delicious!
Regular basil (AKA Genovese basil) will also work in this recipe.
How to use pesto
- Use it as a sandwich spread
- Pasta sauce for carb free pasta
- Put it in a salad dressing
- Use it instead of pizza sauce
- Make a caprese tart
- Roast potatoes with pesto
- Cook lentils and flavor them with pesto
- Flavor your foil packet veggies with it
- Grill corn and slather pesto with it
- Grill fruits with it
- In a puff pastry bites recipe
- Flavor wild rice with it
- Put it in a dip recipe
- Flavor a roasted whole cauliflower.
- Put it into a hasselback potato recipe.
Have you tasted a giant tomato sandwich where pesto is used as a spread? It’s a must try!
A few more pesto recipe
1) Have you tried vegan pesto made with scallions?
2) How about a cilantro pesto recipe?
3) Turn arugula into pesto!
Can I freeze pesto?
Pesto is easy to freeze and it lasts a long time. Put it into ice cube trays and cover. Or, put it into Ziploc bags and lay flat in the freezer.
When I refrigerate this bell pepper pesto, I put it into a glass jar.
Can I make a nut-free pesto?
Yes, it’s easy to make a nut-free pesto. Substitute pine nuts with:
- Seeds like hemp seeds, sesame seeds or flax seeds.
- Even canned canned chickpeas can be used. Roast chickpeas in the oven to make them crispy.
- Pretzels make a good substitute too. Grind them up along with the other ingredients
- Crunchy edamame will also do the trick.
Why roast the pine nuts to make pesto?
Pine nuts are best when they are light roasted. It brings out their natural oils and flavors when you roast them.
It makes the pesto taste more nutty and delicious.
What’s your favorite part of this bell pepper pesto recipe?
Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this recipe.
⭐️ If you tried and enjoyed Bell Pepper Pesto recipe, please rate it 5 stars! Share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and even YouTube. ⭐️
Bell Pepper Pesto with Purple Basil
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 2 cups purple basil lightly packed
- 1 tsp salt Adjust to taste
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz bell pepper strips 1/2 of a 16oz jar or 1 cup or roasted bell peppers
Instructions
- Roast the pine nuts stove top. Roast for about 1 minute to bring out the natural oils and flavors.
- In a food processor, blend half of the basil first
- Add the remaining basil, roasted pine nuts, salt and extra virgin olive oil
- Scrap down the sides of the processor
- Blend until it’s a pesto consistency
- Add the bell pepper strips and blend until pureed.
Video
Notes
- You can use the bell pepper strips or the big bell pepper pieces that come in a jar.
- Make sure you wash the jarred bell pepper because it comes with other flavors like vinegar, etc.
- This is a vegan pesto recipe, but you can always make it vegetarian by adding fresh Parmesan. You can also add a tsp of ground flax seed.
- Tranfer it to a glass jar after you have made it. Storing it in a glass jar will keep it fresh longer
- You can also freeze it and it will last for 6 months.
- If you don’t have pine nuts, you can use almonds or walnuts. Make sure to grind them first.
- I always like to blend half of the basil first. This way, I can be sure that it will be blended evenly. It’s not important step, but I like doing it that way.
- Sometimes, I will make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes or a spicy pepper in it.
Have quesitions? Tried a recipe? Want to voice an opinion?