When we had a bunch of Jimmy Nardello peppers from the farmer’s market, I knew I had to try to make this pesto. It’s creamy and spicy and has a beautiful concentrated pepper flavor. However, you can equally do it with normal red peppers! Adapted from lots of recipes, including this one and this one.

Ingredients

• 1 pound red peppers (or Jimmy Nardello peppers), washed and cleaned
• 1/2 c sun ripened tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 30 g parmesian
• 50 g pecorino
• 1/3 c almonds
• 5 T olive oil
• 1 T chopped Calabrian chillies
• 1 cup ricotta (you can increase this slightly if you want the pesto creamier)
• 1 pound pasta of your choice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Place cleaned peppers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast for ~30 minutes, until skins are blackened and blistered.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
4. Peel the skin of the red peppers and cut into pieces.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
6. In a food processor, combine peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, pecorino, almonds, Calabrian chili, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth.
7. Add the ricotta and blend.
8. Cook pasta accordingly to packaging instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
9. In a bowl or skillet over low heat, toss pasta with pesto and a little pasta water to emulsify.
10. Top with extra cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.