Red bell peppers are blackened in the oven, then seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, cumin and hot pepper flakes. Breadcrumbs and pecans add texture and protein to this play on an Italian classic, before this pasta sauce is tossed with linguine and fresh basil. This recipe comes to us from Patrice of Circle B Kitchen.
Serves 6
For the Roasted Red Pepper Pecan Pesto:
- 1 red pepper, halved
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup pecan halves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
To complete the Roasted Red Pepper Pecan Pesto Pasta:
- 1 pound linguine
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped for garnish
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
To make the Roasted Red Pepper Pecan Pesto:
Turn on the broiler of an oven. Place the pepper halves cut side down on a baking sheet and broil 2-4 inches from the flame for about 12-15 minutes, or until the skins have blackened.
Place the blackened pepper in a bowl covered in plastic wrap or in a sealed zip lock bag. Let the pepper steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bowl. Scoop out the seeds and slip the skins off, but do not rinse under water. Cut the peeled pepper into large pieces and place in a food processor.
Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper flakes, pecans and salt to the food processor. Begin to pulse and blend the pesto ingredients together. Slowly add the olive oil to the food processor while blending, so the pesto becomes a smooth paste.
To complete the Roasted Pepper Pecan Pesto Pasta:
Bring a large salted pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the linguine according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water when you drain the linguine.
Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Spoon the pesto into the pan and toss with the drained pasta to heat through, adding as much of the reserved pasta water as needed to make a sauce to your preferred consistency.
Serve the pasta in equal portions on plates. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil and parsley and enjoy.
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