Spicy Pepper Pesto Sauce

About

This Keto sauce recipe is our twist on a classic pesto. Our spicy Keto pesto is prepared with roasted red bell peppers, aromatic fresh basil, crunchy pine nuts, fragrant garlic, a hint of lemon, tangy parmesan cheese, and fiery dried chili flakes. The ingredients are combined in a food processor to form a coarse paste, then blended with olive oil to create a semi-smooth pesto sauce.

Can I Make This Dairy-Free?

We have added parmesan to our Keto spicy pesto in keeping with the traditional recipe. If you would like to make the recipe dairy-free or vegan, you may omit the parmesan and add a few extra pine nuts for texture. Alternatively, if you would like to retain a cheesy flavor, you can swap the parmesan for some flakes of nutritional yeast, adding according to personal taste. Please be sure to adjust your macros to account for any changes made to the original recipe.

How to Use Keto Pesto Sauce

This spicy Keto pesto makes a versatile dressing and can be enjoyed in a variety of low carb recipes. The sauce can be used to add flavor to roasted low carb vegetables or as a dressing for cooked meats. It can also, of course, be used as a delicious low carb pasta sauce. Simply heat through the pesto, stirring into your preferred low carb spaghetti or noodles.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon parmesan freshly shaved by belgioioso
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 cup, whole pieces basil, fresh
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
½ teaspoon hot chili pepper, dried, without seeds
½ teaspoon salt, sea salt
½ medium – 2 1/2" diameter x 2 3/4" red bell peppers, sweet, raw or blanched, marinated in oil mixture
¼ cup pine nuts

Instructions

Add the bell pepper, pine nuts, 1 packed cup of fresh basil, the parmesan, chili flakes, salt and lemon juice to a food processor. Peel the garlic and add to the food processor. You may add more or less chili as desired to suit your personal tastes.
Pulse the mixture to combine. Continue to pulse until the ingredients are well broken down. You should have a coarse paste.
With the motor of the food processor running on low, add the olive oil a little at a time. Continue to mix until you have reached your desired pesto consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, adding more salt or chili flakes as preferred. You may also add more oil for a thinner pesto.