Roasted Red Pepper Basil Pesto

Tonight's dinner was another take on basil pesto sauce that turned out very well. At least, the hubby and I liked it! I pinned the recipe awhile ago on Pinterest and decided tonight seemed like the right night to try it out. Originally seen on this website: http://www.annies-eats.com/2008/11/26/roasted-red-pepper-and-basil-pesto-penne/. Again, I tweaked the recipe to fit my likes and available ingredients. I love roasted red pepper but had never actually attempted it myself. However, for a first try I think it turned out fairly easy and added great flavor to the dish. So don't be discouraged if you've never roasted a red pepper before and go for buying canned red pepper! Use a fresh pepper and do it yourself! So, onto the dish!

What You Need:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup roasted red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2  tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• pasta of choice (I used spaghetti)

How To Do It:

First, start with roasting your red peppers. Cut the pepper and empty it of seeds and the white membrane. Lay the pepper, skin side up, on a aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and place in your oven. Broil on high for about 15 minutes. When the skin is black, remove the peppers. Using tongs, place the hot peppers in a Ziploc baggie and seal shut for 10-20 minutes. I found that the longer you let them steam, the easier the skin will be to peel off. 

While the peppers are steaming, add cashews and parmesan cheese to a food processor and chop until fine. Add in basil leaves, salt, and pepper, and chop until mixed well. Peel the skin off the red peppers when they have sat long enough and place the skinned peppers in the food processor. Chop until incorporated. Add olive oil, some will say through the drip hole, I say add it all at the same time, just make sure that you mix it in well when you're processing. 

Cook pasta to your liking, drain, and toss with pesto sauce. Serve warm with bread and garlic butter and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!