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1
Roast the peppers directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill at 240°C, turning regularly, until all surfaces are completely blackened and the pepper has collapsed and softened — approximately 15–20 minutes over direct flame or 45 minutes in the oven. Every surface must be fully black, because partial charring gives you bitterness without the underlying smoky sweetness that full roasting drives into the flesh. No surface should retain colour.
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2
Transfer the charred peppers immediately to a bowl and cover tightly, so the trapped steam lifts the skin cleanly from the flesh rather than letting it bond as it dries. Leave to steam for 15 minutes; rushing this step produces torn flesh carrying char fragments. After 15 minutes, peel away and discard all skin, remove stalks and seeds, and reserve the flesh.
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3
Spread the walnuts on a dry baking tray and toast at 180°C for 8–10 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. Toast them without oil so their surface dries out and colours evenly, which draws off the raw bitterness and opens up the deep, round richness that will carry the whole paste. Watch them closely in the final two minutes — they turn quickly.
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4
Place the peeled pepper flesh, toasted walnuts, Aleppo pepper, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, breadcrumbs, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts rather than running the machine continuously, so the walnuts break to a coarse rubble and the paste holds body rather than collapsing into a smooth purée. Stop when the mixture is cohesive but still rough and the texture of the walnuts remains identifiable.
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5
Taste and adjust: add further pomegranate molasses if the walnut richness feels unbalanced, or a little more lemon juice for brightness. The paste is ready when roasted sweetness, richness, acid, heat, and smoke are simultaneously present without any single element dominating.