Red roasted pepper pesto linguine garnished with black pepper in a white bowl

Red Roasted Pepper Pesto Linguine — A Dish of Fire, Sweetness & Silk

Red Roasted Pepper Pesto Linguine — A Dish of Fire, Sweetness & Silk

Bright, smoky, and unmistakably Mediterranean.
To make red pepper pesto the way it deserves to be made, you start not from a jar — but from roasted peppers blistered and sweetened by flame, blended with basil, Parmigiano, and toasted nuts into a velvety, sunset-coloured sauce.

It’s not just “pepper pesto.”
It’s crema di peperoni arrostiti — a sauce that feels like summer on the tongue.

Prepare: 10 minutes  Cook: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

What You Need (Serves 4)

From our kitchen to yours:

  • Afeltra Linguine or Tagliatelle — 400 g
  • Parmigiano Reggiano DOP — 40–60 g
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil — 4 tbsp

From your pantry:

  • 3 large red peppers 
  • 1 onion
  • 40 g pistachio (or almonds for extra sweetness)
  • 3 garlic clove
  • Handful of fresh basil
  • sun dried tomatoes
  • Tbsp tomato puree
  • Salt + black pepper
  • ½ cup pasta water (reserved)
  • Dried Chili Flakes — a pinch (optional)

Equipment:
Blender or food processor • skillet • large pasta pan

Instructions

1. Roast the Peppers

If starting fresh — roast whole peppers under the grill or over a flame until charred on all sides.
Peel, deseed, and slice.
Soft, sweet, smoky — this is your foundation.


2. Build the Pesto

In a blender, add roasted peppers, pistachio nuts, garlic, basil, Parmigiano, sun dried tomatoes and tomato puree and olive oil.

Soften the onion in a pan and add to the blender
Blend until smooth and silky, adding a splash of water or oil if needed.
The colour should be deep red — like coals just beginning to glow.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a hint of chilli.

3. Cook the Pasta

Boil Afeltra Linguine in generously salted water until al dente.
Reserve half a cup of pasta water — liquid gold for emulsifying.

Drain, pour directly into the pesto, and toss.
Add pasta water little by little until the sauce glosses and clings like velvet.


4. Serve

Twirl onto plates, finish with Parmigiano flakes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Every bite should taste like sun-ripened peppers, late-August basil, and pure simplicity.

Chef’s Tips

  • Char the peppers deeply — the smokiness is the soul.
  • Almonds give sweetness, pistachio nuts give luxury.
  • Never drown the pasta — coat it. Dress it. Let it shine.
  • Add burrata on top for a decadent finish (not traditional, but divine).
  • This sauce freezes beautifully — future you will thank you.


Bring Italy to Your Table

Craft this dish with SaporEat’s curated Italian ingredients —
Afeltra pasta, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, golden olive oil from Sicilian groves.
Shop SaporEat and taste peppers kissed by flame, basil touched by summer, and pasta made to hold it all.

One plate. One colour. One love.

Red.

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