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Silver spoon with a mound of Portuguese red pepper paste
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5 / 5 votes

Portuguese Red Pepper Paste

Each Portuguese family has its own rendition of the classic, pantry staple known as massa de pimentão. Here's how David has amped it up several notches and in the process created something new. It's bursting with wine, paprika, garlic, hot sauce, and herbs. It's Portugal in a jar.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Portuguese
Servings: 16 tablespoons | 1 cup
Calories: 44

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 8 to 10 garlic cloves
  • 2 Turkish bay leaves, crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste, or 1 tablespoon double-concentrate tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 7 sprigs cilantro
  • 5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (16 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • Few dashes piri-piri sauce, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine the sweet paprika, sweet smoked paprika, wine, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, and piri-piri sauce.
  • Pulse until the garlic and herbs are minced, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • With the motor still running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and continue whirring until the mixture comes together in a slick, homogeneous paste, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Use the mixture immediately or spoon it into a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to a month.

Notes

Classic Red Bell Pepper Paste Variation

This classico approach to red bell pepper paste relies on salt-cured bell peppers for oomph. It’s a much saltier version of the paste than the recipe above, so use it with a judicious hand. Wash, stem, and seed 3 red bell peppers. Slice them into 1-inch-wide strips. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour in about an inch of kosher salt. Press some of the strips into the salt and cover with another inch of salt. Continue layering until all the strips are covered. Top with a heavy pan. Place the colander in a large bowl and set aside at cool room temperature or 5 days. On the 6th day, fish out the bell pepper strips and brush off the salt but do not rinse. Purée in a food processor, transfer to a clean glass jar, and refrigerate until you need your next fix.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 680mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g