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–+ servings
Orzo with red pesto in a large frying pan with a bowl of pesto at the side.
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5 from 9 votes

Easy Red Pesto Pasta

This homemade creamy red pesto pasta only takes 10 minutes to make. Made with roasted red peppers and only a handful of ingredients.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 5
Calories: 534kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £0.61

Ingredients

  • 2-3 red peppers, seeds removed and roughly chopped (£1.00)
  • 50 g cashews (£1.39/3)=(£0.46)
  • 2 garlic cloves (£0.75/3)=(£0.25)
  • 50 g parmesan (£1.75/3)=(£0.58)
  • ½ lemon, juiced (£0.20)
  • 1 handful of fresh basil (£0.55)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Salt & Pepper

Serve with : 400g Orzo or pasta of choice

Metric - US Standard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C

  • Start by adding the chopped peppers to a lined baking tray. Coat in rapeseed oil and season with salt. Pop in the oven for 25 minutes
  • Next, add the roasted peppers, cashews, garlic, parmesan, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes into a food processor.
  • Start to blend and slowly stream the extra virgin olive oil into the mix. Taste to see if it needs any more salt or lemon juice.
  • Stir the pesto into cooked pasta, adding a ladle of pasta water to loosen. Serve with an extra sprinkle of parmesan and enjoy!

Notes

  • Use a food processor for a chunkier consistency, rather than a blender.
  • If using a blender, add a splash of pasta water to aid blending.
  • Aim for a slight char on the roasted peppers for added flavor in the pesto.
  • Generously season pasta water with salt and finish cooking pasta in the pan with red pesto and pasta water.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 23g