Spicy Peppadew pesto pasta
And so we come to the end of Peppadew week! I hope you’ve enjoyed the recipes this week, and that I’ve given you a taste of how versatile these little piquante peppers are. If you haven’t yet claimed your discount voucher, make sure you do that now, and pick up a jar next time you’re in the shops. They’re a very handy thing to have in the cupboard ready for a quick dinner…
…like this spicy Peppadew pesto pasta! You’ve probably seen sun-dried tomato pesto lots of times, but switching the tomatoes for hot Peppadews gives the added bonus of that lovely sweet spiciness. When you’re eating something like pasta, which doesn’t have a huge amount of flavour itself, it’s so nice to have a real hit of flavour in the sauce, and this Peppadew pesto definitely delivers that.
The pesto is made from pine nuts, garlic, fresh basil, and hot Peppadews. I skipped the parmesan that’s usually found in pesto, because honestly I think it’s not really necessary.
There I go again, pretending I know more than the Italians who have been making pesto for centuries – but I actually prefer to make a vegan pesto. The pine nuts make it perfectly creamy, and this way people can choose how much cheese to add on top of their pasta instead. You taste it more when it’s sprinkled on top, rather than being hidden inside the pesto!
I served my Peppadew pesto pasta really simply with a few more fresh basil leaves and some roasted mushrooms. I don’t know why, but I’ve always thought that mushrooms go really well with pesto pasta – they add a little bit of juiciness that goes really well with the fairly dry sauce. If you’re not a mushroom fan, feel free to skip them, or go for some other veggies instead.
A really tasty, quick and simple weeknight dinner – perfect!
Spicy Peppadew pesto pasta
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- ~ 8 medium mushrooms
- 1 tbsp oil
- 200 g pasta
- 60 g drained Peppadew piquante peppers (1/3 of a 400g jar, or ~2/3 cup)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled
- Small bunch fresh basil
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms, and toss them in a little oil. Roast at 200°C (Gas Mark 6 / 400°F) for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
- Boil the pasta until al dente.
- Meanwhile, add the drained Peppadew peppers, pine nuts, garlic, basil and extra virgin olive oil to a mini food processor, along with a good pinch of black pepper. Blitz until smooth.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it, and stir through the pesto. Serve with the roasted mushrooms and more fresh basil.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.
I saw peppers and know I am in the right place! I might have to give this recipe a try with out homegrown hot peppers. Those lil red beauties you are using look similar to some of ours. Maybe dinner tonight ! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Ooh that would be good! Maybe blanche them quickly first rather than using them raw, just to take the edge off? Sounds tasty though!
Love this dish, totally lush plus quick and easy so a winner in my book:-)
I always love pasta with pesto and most of the time I make basil pesto. This pesto with peppadew looks so delicious and flavorful and its great to add some roasted mushrooms to it.
What a fun and creative pasta dish…fantastic dinner choice for time-crunched nights!
What a delicious looking pesto sauce you have here Becca! Love the spicy kick and certainly happy that it can be made in a breeze! Also, having it with roasted mushrooms – what a genius idea!!!
I’ve never heard of pepperdews, but I do love regular peppers so may have to give these a try.
If you spot them, definitely pick up a jar :) They’re so tasty.
this is a lovely idea Becca- I love peppedew peppers. Not bought them for ages but will be adding them to my next shop!
I love all the recipes
Thanks Joan! :)
Homemade pesto is so quick and easy to make! I must tell myself this when I have a jar of store bought pesto in my cupboards!
To be honest I do use the shop-bought stuff quite often, but homemade is definitely better! :)
What a great way to use peppadew! They are so flavourful and vibrant so I can see how well they would work as a pesto base – yum!