Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe

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This recipe combines the sweetness of oven-roasted peppers, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and fresh basil for a smooth, tasty sauce you’ll want to make again and again. It’s delicious tossed with pasta or spread on crostini for an easy Italian appetizer.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Steaming Time10

Total Time50

Servings: people

Author: Marcellina

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

Tips for Success

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.

Nutrition