• Roast the bell peppers on a hot cast iron plate until charred all over. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Peel and discard the skins and the core. 

  Reserve one of the roasted peppers and tear it into rustic little pieces. Set aside. Puree the rest in a small food processor with a splash of olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar until a chunky sauce forms. Set aside.
  5 red bell peppers, 1 splash red wine vinegar
• Heat up 3 tbsp of the olive oil in an enameled cast iron pot on medium low flame. Sauté the onion with a pinch of sea salt until softened and begins to get a little color. Add the red pepper flakes, bay leaf and garlic and sauté an additional minute making sure not to burn the garlic. Stir in the purred roasted peppers and smoked paprika.
  1/2 yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 5 red bell peppers, 1 bay leaf, pinch sea salt, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• Transfer the canned tomatoes to a bowl and using your hands crush them into rustic chunks and add them to the soup pot. Stir and pour in the water. Bring to a gentle simmer and partially cover with a lid. 

  Allow the soup to cook gently for about 45 minutes until the flavors have married and desired consistency is achieved. Adjust seasonings to your taste with sea salt. Serve hot with the reserved pepper pieces and drizzles of pesto. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley and basil.
  28 oz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, 2 1/2 cups filtered water, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Parsley Pesto

• Discard the tough stems from the parsley and add the top leaves to a bowl of a small food processor. Add the pine nuts, garlic and oil together with a pinch of sea salt and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Adjust taste and texture to your preference with more lemon juice and olive oil.
  1/2 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley or basil leaves, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup pine nuts, 2 cloves garlic, a good squeeze of lemon juice, 1 pinch sea salt, zest from 1 small lemon