Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
If you love flavor and want versatility, this Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is for you!
With the sweetness of roasted red peppers, creamy saltiness from Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and a hint of garlic, this sauce is perfect with pasta, on crostini, or as a tasty dip. Keep a jar in your fridge for the ultimate quick meal or snack!
I get excited when red pepper season comes around. There are so many recipes to make – my Chicken and Peppers Recipe, Nonna’s Peperonata, and yummy Fried Peppers. Plus, I can’t wait to roast them, to bring out the sweetness and concentrate all those beautiful flavors.
This Roasted Red Pepper Sauce takes all of that to another level of tastiness! Combined with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a few basil leaves, and a hint of garlic, the roasted peppers transform into a smooth sauce that’s as simple as it is delicious! This one is a keeper!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple and Tasty: There’s nothing too complicated about this recipe. Regardless of your skills in the kitchen, making this sauce is within everyone’s reach. Plus, most of the time is hands-off while the peppers roast in the oven.
- Flavor: Roasting red peppers makes them so sweet and tasty, so, naturally, this sauce will be that and more. With the addition of typical Italian ingredients like cheese, basil, and garlic, the flavor is truly heavenly!
- Adaptable: What’s not to love about a simple sauce that you can adapt to make your own? You want spicy? That’s easy. You want creamy? You can have that too. Check out the Variations section below.
- Everyday Ingredients: You only need a few basic ingredients to make a sauce that tastes much fancier than it really is. Plus, you’ll find all five ingredients easily available at the grocery store.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Red peppers – Look for large, firm, and shiny red bell peppers. Avoid soft peppers, which are no longer fresh.
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – I like to buy a block of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and grate it fresh myself. The flavor is much better, and it usually ends up being more economical, as well.
- Extra virgin olive oil – You don’t need anything fancy or expensive. A good-quality olive oil from the grocery store will do perfectly.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is the best choice for this recipe. Preminced garlic has additives and a different flavor and aroma compared to fresh garlic. While it is convenient, chopping or mincing a fresh garlic takes less than a minute.
- Basil leaves – Again, fresh basil is the best for this sauce. Dried basil loses a lot of flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Place the peppers on the baking sheet.
Roast until the skins are blistered. Flip halfway through.
When done, cover to allow the peppers to steam; this will help the skins lift. Peel off the skins while still warm.
Cut each pepper open, remove the stalks and seeds, and roughly chop the flesh.
Place the roasted peppers, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, garlic, basil, and salt in a food processor or blender.
Process until smooth and creamy, gradually adding olive oil. Then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Marcellina’s Hint: Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleaning up. I don’t always do it, and then the juices from the peppers tend to burn. Soaking the pan lifts the burnt juices, but it’s much easier if the pan is lined.
Substitutions
- Red Peppers – For a shortcut version, use jarred roasted peppers. Drain and rinse quickly, then pat the peppers dry before combining with the remaining ingredients. If jarred peppers are in oil, don’t rinse.
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – The real thing is ideal, but use Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano if you can’t get Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- Garlic – For a more gentle, sweet flavor, use roasted garlic. You can roast the garlic cloves alongside the peppers. For tips on roasting garlic, read my Roasted Garlic Butter recipe.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Use regular olive oil, sunflower oil, or avocado instead.
- Basil Leaves – Instead of basil, you can use parsley.
Variations
Here are a few variations you might like to try. All are wonderful. Make additions slowly and taste as you go.
- Spicy – Include a pinch of red pepper flakes to add spiciness to the sauce.
- Extra Creamy – Stir in ¼ cup of cream for a creamy roasted bell pepper sauce for pasta.
- Tangy – Add a splash of red wine vinegar. Not a lot. Just a splash; one to two teaspoons. What it does to the flavor is remarkable – bright and tangy.
- Smoky – Mix in ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika for a delicious change.
Equipment
To create a smooth red bell pepper sauce, a blender or food processor is needed. A stick blender will work just as well. I have a mini blender which works perfectly and is invaluable in my kitchen.
Storage
This red bell pepper sauce keeps in the fridge for 2 – 3 days. It will become thicker in the fridge because the oil and cheese solidify. This is ideal for spreading on crostini or bruschetta.
It can be frozen for up to one month. After thawing, the sauce may separate. Bring it back together by blending or whizzing it in the food processor until smooth.
It may be more watery after freezing, but it is a good option if you have leftovers. In fact, freeze small portions of the sauce in ice-cube trays. These can be used to enhance pasta sauces and soups.
Top tips
- Roast the peppers until they are blackened and blistered in spots. This intensifies the flavors and sweetness of the peppers. Also, when well roasted, the skins are easier to peel. There’s even more information about this in my Italian Roasted Peppers recipe.
- Don’t skip covering the peppers once the roasting is done. It takes around 10 minutes, during which time the steam helps loosen the skins, and they peel without any trouble.
- Take your time when cleaning the roasted peppers, removing all the skins, seeds, and any remaining membranes. These can all make the sauce taste a little bitter.
- Use fresh young garlic that hasn’t been sitting around in the fridge for weeks. It can become bitter and unpleasant. Cut the garlic in half and remove the germ (green sprout in the middle) for a less pungent flavor.
- Use freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for a smoother, creamier sauce. Pre-grated cheese is dry and contains additives. I’d rather not have extra additives if I don’t need to.
- You may like to add just half of the salt and taste after blending. Taste is very personal, and it’s easier to add more salt if needed, but impossible to remove.
FAQ
No, this sauce is quite mild and sweet. If you prefer a spicy sauce, add a pinch or more of red pepper flakes when blending.
Roasted bell pepper sauce will thicken naturally in the fridge when the oil and cheese solidify. Adding extra cheese will thicken the sauce if you need to use it before chilling. To prevent this, a thin sauce, be sure to drain the peppers of excess liquid before using, and add the oil gradually until the sauce is the desired consistency.
The sauce could be bitter for several reasons. Firstly, some skin, seeds, or membrane may have been left on the roasted peppers, which can result in bitterness. Also, if the garlic is old, remove the germ in the center and discard it before blending the garlic with the peppers.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to use Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! My favorite way is to toss it with pasta, but I also love it spread on crostini, spooned over roasted Butterfly Chicken or Spiedini, or included with other focaccia toppings. I’m sure you’ll find more ways to use this versatile and extra tasty sauce!
Made this recipe?
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Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup (50 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F/220ºC.
- Wash the peppers and place them in one layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. The peppers will be blistered in spots.
- Using tongs, flip peppers over and roast for another 10-15 minutes, by which time the peppers should be at least 50% blackened.
- Remove from the oven and cover with a sheet of parchment paper and a kitchen towel. This will steam the peppers slightly, ensuring the skins remove easily.
- After 10-15 minutes, peel and discard the skin on the peppers.
- Make a slit in the roasted red peppers lengthwise and pull out the stalk. Most of the seeds should come with the stalk. The remaining seeds can be scraped away. Then roughly chop the pepper flesh.
- Peel the garlic clove. Then cut in half and remove and discard the germ. The germ is the light green sprout in the center.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the roasted peppers, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, garlic, basil, and salt. Blend, gradually adding the olive oil until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Makes 1 ¾ cups, depending on how large the bell peppers are.
Notes
- Roast the peppers until blackened in spots and blistered for the best flavor and easy peeling.
- Cover the peppers after roasting for about 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skins.
- Remove all skins, seeds, and membranes to avoid any bitterness in the sauce.
- Use fresh garlic and remove the green sprout inside for a milder flavor.
- Grate Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from a block rather than using pre-grated.
- Adjust the sauce thickness with a little water or olive oil if needed.
- Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge or freezes for 1 month.
- Find more variations and substitution ideas in the full post above.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
