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Close-up shot of long hot pepper pesto in a white bowl with a spoon standing upright in the thick, glossy pesto, basil leaves blurred in the background.
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Long Hot Pepper Pesto

This long hot pepper pesto is a spicy twist on classic basil pesto, made with fiery long hot peppers, fresh basil, toasted almonds, and Pecorino Romano. It's creamy, nutty, spicy, and incredibly versatile, whether tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or spooned over grilled meats, seafood, and vegetables. If you've been wondering what to do with long hot peppers, this easy pesto recipe is one of the best ways to use them!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 51kcal
Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

  • 4 long hot peppers
  • ½ cup almonds lightly toasted and cooled
  • 1 large garlic clove or 2 small
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 ½ packed cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
  • ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the long hot peppers, turning occasionally, until blistered and charred all over, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly for 10 minutes to steam.
    4 long hot peppers
  2. Peel away the charred skins, then cut off the stems, open up each pepper and use a knife to scrape out the seeds. Pat the peppers dry if they're very wet.
  3. Add the almonds, garlic and salt to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
    ½ cup almonds, 1 large garlic clove, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  4. Add the roasted peppers, basil, lemon juice and olive oil. Process until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. It should still have a little texture.
    1 ½ packed cup fresh basil leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  5. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Pecorino Romano until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
    ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
  6. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container. Cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil before refrigerating to help preserve the color.

Notes

  • Long hot peppers vary in heat. Taste a small piece after roasting if you want an idea of how spicy your pesto will be. Leave in the seeds for extra heat. 
  • If your peppers are very hot, wear food safe gloves when handling. 
  • Toast the almonds until just fragrant and very lightly golden, not brown. Let them cool completely before blending.
  • Pulse the food processor rather than run it continuously if you want to preserve more texture and avoid bruising the basil leaves too much.
  • Don’t be afraid to get the pepper really dark. This will be peeled off later but will leave a nice smoky quality.
  • If you want an extra bright green pesto and your basil isn’t looking very fresh, blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for 10 seconds and immediately shock them in ice water. Then drain well and press the basil firmly against a fine-mesh sieve to remove as much excess water as possible. This will lock in its bright green color and help it last longer in the pesto, without oxidizing as easily.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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