Sweet and tender, roasted peppers are  great as a topping on bruschetta or as a flavour booster for pastas, pizza and dips. They  add lots of great flavour with very little effort.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 red or orange bell peppers

40 g of sundried tomatoes

40 g of peeled almonds

40 g s of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

8 g of fresh basil (about 20 leaves)

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon of salted capers

5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

400 g of fusilli

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan.

Place the whole peppers on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper and put them  in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until their skins is completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred in spots, turning them a couple of times during cooking.

Remove the pan from the oven and cover it tightly with aluminium foil or wrap them in a paper bag. This will “sweat” the peppers making the skin easier to peel off. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Remove the stem, peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected.

If using dry, non oil-preserved sundried tomatoes, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes until soft. If using the oil-preserved  ones, drain them.

Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to a boil, add the fusilli and cook according to the package instructions.

In a small frying pan set over medium heat, toast the almonds for 4 -5 minutes, until golden and fragrant.

Place the peppers with the sundried tomatoes , almonds, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, capers, garlic, extra -virgin olive oil and basil in a food processor. Process until almost smooth.

Drain the fusilli reserving some of the cooking liquid (about 2-3 tablespoons per person).

Transfer the roasted peppers mixture to a large bowl. Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Serve right away.

TEMPTING TIPS

Add some hot chilli to give a spice touch to the dish. Serve the pesto on some canapés. This pesto makes the perfect veggie canapé served on pieces of toasted bread, shaped in circles, squares, or triangles.