Red Pesto

There’s a pesto for every season – pesto deriving from the Italian for ‘pound’, rather than anything to do with basil. This beautiful, deeply-flavoured red one came to life from half a jar of roasted peppers that was lingering in the fridge. They create the same sort of warm, scented flavour that underpins the cheese and nuts perfectly. I used walnuts and strong cheddar here, as that’s what I had, but a Parmesan/pine nut combo would also work in the more traditional manner. Toss with pasta, spread onto bread, eat with chicken or an omelette ...

160g roasted peppers (peeled and drained of liquid)
80g strong cheddar or feta
60g walnuts
75-100ml extra virgin olive oil
 
Add the peppers, cheese and nuts to the bowl of a food processor and whizz for a few seconds to chop. Slowly pour in the oil while the machine is running, until you have a sloppy and fairly emulsified sauce - I like this one quite smooth, with a coating texture. Toss with al dente pasta – you’ll want about 3 tablespoons per person. Top with grated parmesan and black pepper – taste before adding salt, you may find there’s flavour enough. Cover the rest with a slick of olive oil and a lid - it should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.