Up Your V-Day Dinner Game With This Homemade Red Pepper Pesto Pasta Recipe
Valentine’s Day happens to fall on a Tuesday this year, which means a little planning ahead can go a long way! For a festive yet stress-free dinner idea, pasta and pesto are my go-to’s. Pesto is an easy way to add tons of flavor to a variety of dishes and it’s simple enough for beginners and experts alike to master in minutes! If roasted red peppers aren’t your vibe, another festive variation is my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, full of rich tomato flavors and that special festive look.
To save time on a busy weeknight, I have pesto stowed away in the freezer so I can use it in a pinch. To freeze the pesto, I scoop it into ice cube trays and put them in the freezer. Once the pesto cubes are frozen, I pop them out of the trays and place them in a freezer-safe container and label them with the date. Because you can save time by making this pesto ahead, you can spend quality time with your special someone (or kids!) making pasta from scratch to pair with the pesto.
Pour a glass of vino and get ready to get a little messy with this part! I promise, this homemade pesto pasta recipe will make your Valentine’s Day extra memorable. Plus, pasta freezes beautifully too! I freeze mine by placing the freshly cut pasta into individual-size freezer-safe bags for up to a month – now you’ll always have a romantic meal at a moment’s notice. Set the scene with my simple Valentine’s Day tablescape and you’ll be ready for romance in no time!
Ingredients for Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
- 1 cup toasted pine nuts
- 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup pecorino; freshly grated
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
- Place the pine nuts in a shallow skillet over medium heat; tossing/stirring frequently. Toast until the nuts are fragrant and slightly brown; careful, this won’t take too long!
- Remove from the skillet and allow the pine nuts to cool.
- Once cool, place the pine nuts, ricotta, roasted red peppers, pecorino, oregano, basil, lemon juice into a food processor or blender.
- Process everything together and gradually begin adding the olive oil in through the opening in the lid.
- Add about more olive oil as needed until you reach the desired consistency.
- Taste for flavor and add more herbs, and salt and pepper if needed.
Ingredients for Homemade Pasta
- 4-5 eggs, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 cups of flour; plus more for rolling out
How to Make Homemade Pasta
- Place 4 eggs, salt, and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to mix together, about 5-10 seconds.
- Scoop 3 cups of flour into the food processor and process until it starts to form a ball. If it’s too wet, add more flour. If it doesn’t come together and is crumbly, add another egg.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and place it on a clean countertop. Knead the dough, adding a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky. Knead for another minute or two, until the dough is smooth.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or place in the fridge to roll out at a later time.
- To roll out the dough, cut it into quarters. Use your hands to flatten one of the pieces, adding a couple tablespoons of flour if needed.
- Use the pasta roller/cutter to flatten the dough. Machines vary, so start at a thicker setting and work your way down to a thinner setting before cutting. You want the pasta to be thin enough that you can see through it. Then feed the pasta through the cutter to get the size noodles you want.
- Once the pasta is cut, toss it with a couple more tablespoons of flour so it doesn’t stick together, and repeat with the rest of the dough.
- At this point, you can either cook the dough or freeze it.
- Cook the pasta in salted (yes, salted) bowling water for a few minutes.
- After the pasta is cooked, add in your sauce for the perfect red pepper pesto pasta recipe!
Still looking for a great, last minute Valentine’s Day gift? My cookbook, Everyday Celebrations From Scratch, is on SALE now (and Amazon prime-able!). Get your copy in time before your celebration and find more ways to say “I LOVE YOU” on the blog below:
