Basil and Yellow Bell Pepper Pesto

I made homemade pesto with shrimp and broccoli over spaghetti for dinner one night while we were staying in Mendocino. Fortunately it didn’t break our roll of good meals, and Paula urged me to write down the recipe as I improvised on my typical pesto recipe based on the ingredients we had on hand.

Forgive me as I don’t have good measurements – I always make pesto by taste. I add more of an ingredient if needed. You’ll need:

• Basil (fresh, rinsed and stems removed – I used most of a bunch from the grocery store)
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Butter
• Yellow Bell Peppers (diced or cut into thin 1″ strips – I used half a medium sized pepper)
• Asiago cheese, freshly grated (I used a good aged Asiago as it’s my favorite, but you could also use Parmesan. I think I used about a 1/2 cup)

Chop the basil leaves finely or add them to a food processor or blender. Add just enough olive oil to moisten the leaves (the butter from the peppers will also add liquid, plus you can add more later if it’s too thick – but you don’t want too much). Add a pinch of salt and the cheese. Mix together in the food processor.

Sauté the bell peppers with butter and a pinch of salt in a fry pan (preferably an iron skillet). You want to brown the peppers and the butter. The browned butter will give the pesto a nutty flavor. Add the bell peppers and butter you cooked it in to the ingredients in the food processor and blend. It will be a little lumpy as the bell peppers will stay in chunks – don‘t worry, that’s just how you want it (add a nice texture).

Serve the pesto by tossing with a pasta of your choice. We used a whole grain spaghetti cooked al dente. We served with shrimp and broccoli over the top of the pasta (sautéed separately with butter and a pinch of salt). It makes for a tasty meal!