About the French apéro

Short for apéritif, the French apéro is a ritual of before-dinner snacks and drinks – which is very dear to the French. Think American happy hour, but more food focused. It is enjoyed throughout the entire year (regardless of season), but a little more religiously during the warmer months of the year, when you’re settled in on a sun-drenched patio or backyard. 

Often very laid back, a French apéro commonly features a mix of chips, peanuts, olives and slices of saucisson (dried pork sausage) – nothing extravagant. For special occasions, you can come up with more creative bites, dips and toasts – such as this poivronade dip.

More appetizer recipes you may like: 

• French Cheese Puffs (Gougères)
• Brie en Croûte with Cranberries, Nuts and Thyme
• Classic French Salmon Rillettes
• Swiss Chard Pancakes (Farçous)
• Ham Cheese Olive Bread 
• Sardine and Cream Cheese Rillettes
• Eggplant Caviar Dip
• Black Olive Tapenade
• Gruyere Cheese Twists (Torsades au fromage)

Less famous than the olive Tapenade, this Roasted Red Pepper Dip is another specialty dip from Southern France, with big Mediterranean flavors. A lot of different takes exist for this recipe, but the base always remains the same – pureed roasted red peppers, which are mixed with different cheeses, spices and/or fresh herbs. Today’s take features salty parmesan and feta cheese, pine nuts, smoked paprika and fresh basil leaves. This makes for a creamy dip with deliciously smoky, salty yet slightly sweet flavors. 

How to Store this Roasted Red Pepper Dip? 

Keep the Poivronade in an airtight container or jar, in the fridge for up to 1 week. The dip tends to thicken in the fridge, so take it out to settle to room temperature about 30 minutes before enjoying. 

Notes: 

• For this recipe, you will need a blender or mixer. 
• For roasting the bell peppers, you can do it easily in the oven; I am giving you instructions in the recipe below. But feel free to do it on the grill if weather allows. The goal is to roast the peppers until they get charred, blistering skins – do not fret, the blackened skins are peeled off later.  
• Pine nuts are delicious to use in this recipe. However, for a more affordable option you can use chopped almonds (2 tablespoons + extra for garnish). 

I hope you enjoy this Roasted Red Pepper Dip from Provence (Poivronade) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. And if you enjoy recipes from Provence, make sure to sure check my round up of Classic Provencal Recipes To Try. 

More appetizer recipes you may like: 

• French Cheese Puffs (Gougères)
• Brie en Croûte with Cranberries, Nuts and Thyme
• Classic French Salmon Rillettes
• Swiss Chard Pancakes (Farçous)
• Ham Cheese Olive Bread 
• Sardine and Cream Cheese Rillettes
• Eggplant Caviar Dip
• Black Olive Tapenade
• Gruyere Cheese Twists (Torsades au fromage)

Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Poivronade)

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 people Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

2 large red bell peppers, washed
2 tbsp pine nuts (+ 1 tbsp for garnish)
1/2 cup (55g) parmesan, grated or roughly chopped
1/2 cup (75g) Feta cheese, crumbled (+ a little extra for ganish)
¼ tsp smoked paprika (+ a pinch more for garnish)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
6-8 Fresh basil leaves (+ a few more for garnish)
2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (30ml) (+ more for garnish)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a roasting pan or dish with foil, place the whole bell peppers on top and bake for 40 minutes until blackened, flipping them hallway (carefully, with tongs).

Let the bell peppers cool. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. Cut the peppers open, remove the core and seeds and chop them roughly.

Cut the garlic cloves in half and use a paring knife to pry the germ out.

In a mixer, add the parmesan and pine nuts, and pulse until ground. Add the feta, paprika, garlic cloves, lemon juice, basil leaves, salt and black pepper to taste. Pulse until reduced to a crumbly paste. Add the chopped red pepper, olive oil and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. If the consistency is too thick for your liking, add one or two splashes of olive oil.

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and top with a sprinkle of pine nuts, a sprinkle of crumbled feta, a pinch of paprika and a few basil leaves. Enjoy with toasted bread slices or raw vegetables for dipping.

The post Roasted Red Pepper Dip from Provence (Poivronade) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Only 4 ingredients, 10 minutes, and incredible flavors… this French Pistou sauce is a must to have in your French repertoire. Traditionally, Pistou sauce is used to garnish the typical Provencal vegetable soup (“Soupe au Pistou” – a recipe you can find my cookbook), but it makes a terrific sauce in pasta too.  

How to make this French Pistou Sauce Pasta recipe

I should start by saying that a traditional French Pistou Sauce should be made in a large Mortar. French purists will tell you that there is only one way to make Pistou – by hand. The ingredients are pureed in the mortar with a pestle until creamy.

However, for the sake of simplicity, using a blender has become more and more common. You can make this recipe both ways (mortar and pestle or blender), the ingredients remain the same.

Although not purely traditional, I like to add Parmesan to my Pistou sauce to add some creaminess. You can choose to include it as well, or skip it.

The recipe begins with fresh basil – ideally freshly picked, or as fresh as you can get. Rinse it thoroughly and separate the leaves from the stems (discard the stems). Tear the leaves by hand into small pieces. I prefer to not use a knife – tearing by hand extracts more flavor from the leaves.

Using a large mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound/pulse the garlic to a paste with the salt. Add the basil leaves and pound/pulse them with the garlic until the mixture is a rough paste. Drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil, and stir/pulse until combined. Stir in the grated Parmesan (optional). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is ready, cook the pasta of your choice. (as per instructions on the box). I like tagliatelle pasta, as it coats nicely with the Pistou sauce – but any pasta shape works here. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Pistou per pasta serving, right before serving.

My cooking tips: 

• Choose freshly picked basil – or the freshest you can get. 
• Tear the basil with your hands to extract more flavors from the leaves. 
• I like to add Parmesan to my Pistou sauce to add some creaminess. You can choose to include it as well, or skip it. With Parmesan, the sauce will be creamier and smoother in taste; without Parmesan it will be more floral and basil-forward. 

I hope you love this French Pistou Sauce Pasta recipe as much as I do!  Pistou is so fragrant and colorful, and so versatile to use. Like the Italian pesto, Pistou can also be served as an accompaniment to grilled meats, poultry and fish.

You may also like:

• Summer Vegetable Tian Galette
• Black Olive Tapenade 
• French-Style Potato Salad
• French-style Couscous Salad

French Pistou Sauce Pasta

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, peeled
Pinch of salt, plus more to taste
2 cups (40 g/1 bunch) packed fresh basil leaves, torn/chopped (+ a few extra leaves for garnish)
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (50 g) Parmesan, grated (+ extra for garnish)
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
8-12oz pasta

Instructions

Step 1 - Using a large mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound/pulse the garlic to a paste with the salt. Add the basil leaves and pound/pulse them with the garlic until the mixture is a rough paste. Drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil, and stir/pulse until combined. Stir in the grated Parmesan (if using). Season to taste with salt and black pepper. 

Step 2 – Cook pasta of your choice (according to box’s instructions) and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Pistou per pasta serving. Garnish with a few fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan, and enjoy immediately.

Keep the Pistou sauce in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

The post French Pistou Sauce Pasta appeared first on Pardon Your French.