Roasted Red And Yellow Peppers With Hazelnut Pesto
PEPPER PLUSSES!
Peppers are really good for us. They’re inexpensive and hardy and they pack a lot of nutrition, especially Vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid and fiber. Red peppers are even more nutritionally dense because the longer they stay on the vine (turning from green to red) the more time they have to develop their nutrients.
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes
SERVES 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 large yellow bell peppers
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 1 bunch basil any variety, leaves only, coarsely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅔ cup toasted hazelnuts coarsely chopped
- ½ - ⅔ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
- ½ - ⅔ cup grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Light the broiler or grill and roast the peppers, turning, until charred on all slides, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and place in a stainless steel bowl with a lid or in a plastic bag and seal. Let the peppers cool in their own juices for 15 minutes.
-
Remove the peppers and reserve their juices. Carefully peel the peppers: Cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut each half into strips about an inch (2 ½ cm) wide.
-
In the bowl of a food processor, place the basil leaves, garlic and pepper juices. Pulse on and off for a minute or so to puree. Add the toasted hazelnuts and pulse to form a paste. Add the parmesan and a little salt and pepper and pulse to form a thicker paste. Drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing all the while, until the pesto is thick but loose enough to spoon over the peppers as a dressing.
-
Place the peppers in alternating rows or layers of yellow and red strips, spooning a little pesto over each payer or row. Serve.