Almond Free Walnut Pesto Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Smoky, charred red peppers meet a vibrant basil paste and toasted walnuts in a relish that's bold enough to steal the show at any table. The broiling step is the real secret here — letting the skins blister and collapse before steaming them off gives the peppers a deep, almost sweet smokiness that you simply can't get from a jar. The walnut-basil base is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients, so there's no guessing about what's actually in it — just garlic, lemon, olive oil, and fresh herbs blitzed into a coarse, fragrant paste. Folding the hand-chopped walnuts in at the end keeps the texture satisfyingly chunky rather than turning the whole thing into a smooth spread. For anyone navigating tree nut concerns around almonds specifically, this recipe leans entirely on walnuts, with zero almond-based ingredients or almond oil in sight. Spoon it over grilled chicken, pile it onto crusty bread, or use it as a punchy sauce for pasta — it's the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more interesting. A scatter of fresh parsley at the end adds a little brightness that ties the whole bowl together beautifully.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the roasted peppers
- 3 large red bell peppers (about 1 ½ lb total)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the pesto-walnut base
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler to high. Place the whole red bell peppers on a baking sheet, rub them with 1 tbsp olive oil, and broil for 18–22 minutes, turning with tongs every 5–6 minutes, until the skins are deeply charred and blistered on all sides and the peppers have collapsed.
- 2
Transfer the charred peppers to a mixing bowl, cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap, and let them steam for 10 minutes — this loosens the skins.
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