To begin, set the hob on a high heat. Please remember to stay vigilant when using an open flame and never leave a child unattended.
Then, carefully slide the pepper onto the pronged meat fork.
Lay the pepper onto the hob and turn frequently using the fork. After a while, you should notice some burnt spots and you might hear the skin of the pepper ‘cracking’ slightly. Keep turning the pepper until it is covered in little burnt spots. This process should take about 3-4 minutes.
Now set the pepper aside to cool.
Add the breadcrumbs, grated garlic, and lemon zest to a food processor.
Deseed and roughly chop the cooled pepper. Add the red pepper to the food processor.
Squeeze over the juice of ½ lemon, pour in the olive oil and the Balsamic vinegar, if using.
Blend the mixture in the food processor until you reach a smooth, pesto-like consistency. This can take up to one minute or so as the mixture starts out quite chunky and you need to get it past this stage to the smoother stage.
To serve, you can either swirl the pesto into a soup, add to some cooked pasta, or spread in a panini topped with vegan cheese! Enjoy!