I have a ton of respect for Joumana at Taste of Beirut. Not only does she have mad cooking skills but she is a fountain of creativity that leaves most of us mortal souls in the dust.
So when I came across her recipe for traditional Muhammara sauce, I got off my behind lickety quick and drove 45 minutes to our nearest Mediterranean store Haji Baba, in search of pomegranate molasses. And what do I find? Metal gates across the front with a big closed sign in the shop window...and it was a Saturday!
So any who, dejected as I was, I decided I would have to alter my plans to make a Lebanese inspired sauce instead. Though I have tried to stay true to its original roots, I have taken a few artistic liberties in the process.
So here it is, step one to a wonderful Lebanese inspired Roasted Red Pepper Pesto & Goat Cheese Sauce.
Red Peppers - These can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or prepared the same day based on your convenience.
Preheat the oven to 500 deg F.
Discard the tops and cut away the membranes and seeds. Place on a baking tray cut side down.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the skin is blackened and charred. Immediately place the charred red peppers into a zip lock bag and close to steam and soften the peppers for about 10-15 minutes.
Peel away the skin (do not wash with water) and set aside till further use.
Parsley - Separate the leaves from the stems and finely chop in mini-chopper. Set aside.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside in a sieve to drain. Meanwhile begin working on the sauce.
Gather the ingredients for the sauce - the olive oil, walnuts, lemon, red pepper flakes, cumin powder, sumac, garlic cloves, salt, good quality goat cheese & of course the roasted red bell peppers.
Cook's Note - Sumac is available in Mediterranean stores and it a powdered dried berries indigenous to places like Turkey & the Lebanon. It flavors the dish with a tart flavor that is particular to this spice and is not to be omitted for superlative results.
In a food processor, add the walnut and garlic cloves & chop up till fine.
To the walnuts add the peeled red peppers, the juice of 1/2 lemon, red pepper flakes, cumin powder, salt & sumac. Blend for a few minutes till completely smooth.
Stir the sauce in the pasta and stir on medium heat till the sauce completely coats the pasta.
Taste and adjust the salt. Add fresh chopped parley leaves.
Crumble the goat cheese over the pasta. Stir to combine. The heat from the pasta melts the goat cheese just right. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
The flavors are explosive! The crumbly texture from the ground walnuts is wonderful and the tartness from the sumac works well with the flavorful spiciness from the red pepper flakes & the cumin powder. The fresh parsley provides a taste of freshness with every bite.
The goat cheese smoothens out the sauce beautifully and is the perfect finishing touch. With a little bit of advance planning with the roasted peppers, you can fix this in a jiffy on a busy night.
So this is perfect for company or for a weeknight dinner. The color contrasts make for a beautiful presentation.
Recipe for
Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto & Goat Cheese
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Cooking time - 12 minutes
Serves 2 as a main & 4 as a side
Shopping list
4 large red bell peppers
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
2 tsp Sumac
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2-3 oz good quality goat cheese for garnish
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 500 deg F.
Red Peppers - These can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or prepared the same day based on your convenience.
Discard the tops and cut away the membranes and seeds. Place on a baking tray cut side down.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the skin is blackened and charred. Immediately place the charred red peppers into a zip lock bag and close to steam and soften the peppers for about 10-15 minutes.
Peel away the skin (do not wash with water) and set aside till further use.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside in a sieve to drain. Meanwhile begin working on the sauce.
Gather the ingredients for the sauce - the olive oil, walnuts, lemon, red pepper flakes, cumin powder, sumac, garlic cloves, salt, good quality goat cheese & of course the roasted red bell peppers.
In a food processor, add the walnut and garlic cloves & chop up till fine.
To the walnuts add the peeled red peppers, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, cumin powder, salt & sumac. Blend for a few minutes till completely smooth.
Stir the sauce in the pasta and stir on medium heat till the sauce completely coats the pasta.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Add fresh chopped parley leaves.
Crumble the goat cheese over the pasta. Stir to combine. The heat from the pasta melts the goat cheese just right. Remove from heat.
Serve immediately
Enjoy!
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