I lived in Northern Italy from mid-2019 to the end of 2020. Before I left for Italy, my dad told me not to come home until I had a recipe book full of delicious authentic Italian meals. So whenever I made a new friend, I would kindly ask them to teach me their favorite recipes. Cooking these recipes bring back fond memories made with friends.

Bell pepper pesto is a fan favorite in my house. This recipe calls for very few ingredients and is relatively low effort. However, it does require you to be patient as it simmers to thicken.

This incredible sauce pairs perfectly with your favorite pasta, but is even better with homemade sweet potato gnocchi. *recipe to come.

Warning: Whoever you make this sauce for will not be able to stop talking about it for weeks. They will insist on you sharing the recipe and you will probably get in trouble for not making a double batch because everyone will want multiple servings.

Ingredients

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 2 large yellow bell peppers
• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 3 heaping tablespoons of ricotta cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder

Directions

Deseed and rough chop bell peppers. Add to blender.

Blend peppers to a liquid consistency.

Add blended peppers to a large sauté pan and set stove to medium heat.

Immediately, stir in cream and ricotta cheese.

Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to draw out excess moisture.

Allow sauce to come to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, turn stove to low heat.

Allow sauce to simmer until the mixture becomes a pesto-like consistency. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Stir sauce every 5 minutes or so.

Once the sauce has thickened, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Serve over your favorite kind of pasta, chicken, or best yet, homemade sweet potato gnocchi.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments!