This red pepper pesto dip is one of my new favourite things. Since moving to North America I have been unimpressed with their dip selection, so I’m now on a mission to recreate all my faves from Australia starting with my fave red pepper (or red capsicum as I’m used to calling it) pesto dip!
Why you’ll love this dip
- By roasting your red peppers, it really has the perfect roasted pepper flavour. This is what truly makes the pesto dip special, it wouldn’t be the same if you just threw in some raw red peppers. It gives it this delicious smokey, almost sweet taste.
- After you’ve roasted the peppers, this dip recipe comes together in less than 5 minutes! It’s super quick, and honestly so satisfying to make your own dips.
- It is versatile! My fave way to eat the red pepper pesto dip is to have it with a cheese board. A nice sharp cheddar is *chef’s kiss*, but it basically goes with anything. I also LOVE to add it to sandwiches. The dip on a grilled cheese sandwich is so so good.
Tips for Roasting Red Peppers
- When you’re slicing your red peppers, I like to cut from the bottom so I can see that I’m making two even halves. You want to ensure the pepper halves are roughly the same size so they roast evenly.
- Place them cut-side down on a parchment lined baking pan so the skin is what gets blackened.
- Place the peppers straight into a ziplock bag or a container and seal it. You want the steam from the peppers to soften the skin. This will make it really easy for you to remove the skin after waiting 30 minutes.
Making the Red Pepper Pesto Dip with Jarred Peppers
I tested this recipe with the jarred roasted peppers, because of easy that would make this recipe, and while it does technically work…I just didn’t feel that the red pepper flavour shone through.
So while I don’t recommend making it with the jarred peppers, you can do it. To get a richer pepper flavour, I added an extra pepper which helped but does make it slightly runnier.
Storing the pepper pesto dip
The dip lasts for quite a long time when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It has rarely lasted more than 1 week in my house because I am addicted to it, you’ll find out once you make it…but I tested keeping it for another week (2 weeks total) and it was still great!
Ingredients
- 2 Red Peppers approx. 160g
- 20 g Sundried Tomato
- 30 g Pecorino grated
- 1 Garlic Clove minced
- 50 g Raw Cashews
- ½ tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F.
- Slice your red peppers in half, ensuring all seeds are removed. Place each half, cut-side down onto a parchment lined baking pan.
- Cook the red peppers in the oven for 40 minutes, the tops should have black spots on them when you take them out.
- Carefully place the red peppers into a container that seals or ziplock bag. Let them sweat for 30 minutes.
- Peel the skin off the peppers and discard the skin.
- Add the red peppers, sundried tomato, pecorino, garlic, cashews, and white wine vinegar in a food processor or blender. You can also use a stick/handheld blender. Pulse until it resembles a pesto.
- Taste and season with salt if needed. Add in your oil and stir with a spoon until it's combined.
- Serve with cheese, crackers, or just have it on your sandwiches!
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