Hello Cooking Peeps! It’s been quiet around here because January was a whirlwind of Glover Gardens house parties — family visits, late-night laughter, big plans for the future, and a whole lot of cooking. In between the storytelling and wine refills, a new recipe debuted that completely stole the show: a Spicy Red Pesto that comes together in minutes and makes grown men weep with joy (and ask for the jar to take home).
First, the recipe — then the notes, variations, and the backstory.
🌶️ Spicy Red Pesto Recipe (Small Batch)
Cooking time: ~10 minutes
Makes: about 1 to 1¼ cups (enough for 8 people to dip with their focaccia and swoon over in one meal)
Ingredients
- 2 serrano peppers, stemmed and seeded (or a blend of your favorite chiles – see note)
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- ⅓ cup toasted or roasted nuts (see note)
- 1–2 tbsp packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained slightly
- ¾ cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 10 grinds black pepper
Instructions
In a mini food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, toasted nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Pulse just until roughly chopped. (You can also use a full-sized food processor or a blender.)
Add the olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until you reach the desired texture — thick enough to cling to bread, but loose enough to drizzle. It should be slightly chunky and not smooth; the texture is part of the charm, unless you prefer a smooth sauce. Taste and more salt or oil as needed, depending on how you’re serving it.
Notes and Variations
- Peppers: I chose serranos for the main version of this recipe because they’re readily available. But you can be creative with your peppers! The first time I made this red pesto, I used one serrano and one chocolate habanero. The second time, I did a double batch and used a serrano, a chocolate habanero and a Fresno pepper. The third time, I used 1½ tsp. of tiny dried chile pequins and a serrano. That’s because my niece and her boyfriend are growing them, and brought this bounty to share during their January weekend visit. The fourth time, just two serranos. The pesto never disappointed, regardless of the peppers. Also, if you aren’t a lover of all things spicy, just substitute a large mild jalapeno.
- Toasted nuts: You can toast your own, and pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts work beautifully. Or, you can use purchased roasted nuts. I’ve done both and the results are slightly different but similarly spectacular. Toasting nuts yourself makes for a slightly creamier texture, while using roasted nuts sports a bit more crunch. I’ve used mixed roasted nuts in one batch and roasted, salted cashews in another.
- Herbs and spices: It can sometimes be hard to find fresh basil in the winter. You can substitute Italian parsley, or just leave it out. It will be different, but still delicious. But don’t skip the smoked paprika—it is a key ingredient in this dish. Trust me on this.
- Texture: Pay close attention to how much you process the mixture, especially if you’re using nuts you toasted, as they are softer. The second time I made it, I over-processed the red pesto and it became more of a sauce. It was still really tasty, but the runnier texture wasn’t as satisfying as a dip for our focaccia. HOWEVER, the that variation would make an excellent sauce for crepes or grilled meats.
- Batch size: If you’re having a party with more than 10 people, you’ll want to double the recipe. You may not use it all, but the leftovers are fabulous, and it’s likely that your peeps may ask for a take-home jar.
Serving Suggestions
I created this red pesto recipe to serve with our new (and already beloved) focaccia, and the whole thing was inspired by a visit to Che Gaucho, a tiny and wonderful Argentinian restaurant in our town. I was blown away by their pre-meal bread and condiments, and wanted to be able to create those flavors at home. That’s all documented here, including the focaccia recipe.
So of course, focaccia or any kind of dipping bread is my first recommendation for how to show off this tasty, brick-red beauty. Look how pretty it is together!
We served the Spicy Red Pesto with focaccia alongside a simple garden salad with chicken.
Again with focaccia, this time alongside shrimp and crawfish etouffee, expertly made by my niece’s boyfriend during their visit. It was hard to decide with each bit of focaccia whether we wanted to dip it into the wonderful etouffee sauce, or the pesto—a great problem to have. 😎
But Spicy Red Pesto isn’t just for focaccia — it’s a flavor bomb waiting for a landing spot. Spoon it over grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, or salmon. Swirl it into pasta, risotto, or creamy polenta. Drizzle it across roasted vegetables, schmear it onto sandwiches, or drizzle it on burrata, goat cheese or just humble cream cheese for a quick appetizer. Add a dollop to soup, scramble it into eggs, whisk it into vinaigrette, or melt it into warm grains. However you use it, this pesto doesn’t sit quietly on the plate — it wakes up everything it touches. Here it is below with a new recipe we’re calling Mardi Gras Bread (coming soon), alongside hummus and cilantro pesto.
Join Me in the Kitchen
I usually assemble the ingredients when I’m creating a new recipe. Not all ingredients are in all pics, but you get the idea… it’s really just a handful of fab ingredients combined in a perfect way.
There are only a few steps to make this pesto, and I don’t think I would try it without an appliance. Unless I wanted to get a workout with a big mortar and pestle.
This is Batch 2, the double batch. I added the tomatoes after first chopping the basil, garlic and nuts, but realized that extra step is unnecessary.
That batch made a LOT! And as I confessed above, I over-processed it a little. Live and learn! It was a little too smooth.
The third batch didn’t get documented, because that’s when my niece and her boyfriend were here, along with my Bonus Sister. We were far too busy and engaged to be taking pics as we were cooking!
But the fourth batch was the one I just made at Gumbo Cove over the long President’s Day Weekend, a batch to prove the worthiness of the recipe and its standard approach with serrano peppers. Score!
My friends, this Spicy Red Pesto is outrageously good. It’s quick, bold, and just the kind of recipe that makes a simple meal feel special. Make it this weekend — serve it with warm bread, spoon it over something grilled, or tuck it into sandwiches — and then come back and tell me how you used it. That’s the best part of all of this, after the eating.
©️ 2026, Glover Gardens
