This roasted red pepper sauce will absolutely knock your socks off! And we even show you how to roast the peppers step by step!
One of the most popular recipes on this food site is the Butter & Garlic Cream Sauce. I imagine it is due to its simplicity. Some of the best sauces are really very simple to make.
Today I am showing you another very simple sauce to make, it’s our Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. For some reason the title makes it sound hot. The words ROASTED and PEPPER tend to do that. But let me assure it, it is NOT hot … like AT ALL. So if that was a concern of yours hopefully you will continue to read on, because it’s SOOOOO worth it!
HOW TO MAKE ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE:
We first want to begin by roasting some red peppers. Now there is a myriad of ways to do this first step. You can broil them like I did. It’s as simple as cutting the peppers in half, deseeding them and brushing them with a little oil so they don’t burn. We want them to blacken but they will need a bit of oil to help with that.
OR you don’t have to cut them at all, just throw them in full. OR some people even cut them in half and put them directly on the grill or a gas burner if you have a gas stove.
You want the peppers to look something like this when they are done. They will be almost completely black on top, but that’s exactly what we are looking for. This can take anywhere from 20-25 minutes. Because we are working with a broiler at over 500°F it’s important to keep an eye on them. Please don’t walk away.
The peppers will now need a chance to cool off and steam. Again, there are several ways to do this. I personally just throw a bowl on top of them. You can see the steam rising and fogging up the bowl. Another way to do it is to put the peppers in a paper bag. Roll it tight and let them sit for about 10 minutes.
Now it’s simply a matter of peeling away the charred skin. You don’t have to be perfect on this, as a matter of fact, I quickly peel the skins as I don’t mind a little of the char staying on. Your choice of course.
We then add these beautifully roasted flavorful peppers to our pan that has some onions and garlic already sautéed
Transfer the peppers, onions and garlic to a food processor and give it a big ‘ol whirl and return it to the pan where we will finish it off with some cream and parmesan cheese!
Look what I had the next day for leftovers:
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Roasted red peppers are beautifully balanced with cream and parmesan cheese for a luxuriously creamy sauce made in mere minutes!
Ingredients
- 3 Red Bell Peppers
- 2–3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
- 1– 1 1/2 Cups Half and Half (or 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream & Whole Milk)
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1/3 Cup Romano or Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, julienned
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
TO ROAST THE PEPPERS:
- Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
- Lightly coat them with olive oil and place them cut side down on cookie sheet.
- Preheat the broiler to 500 and place the peppers on the 3rd rack down. Let them roast and blacken for approx. 15 minutes.
- Cover them with a glass bowl or put them in a paper bag to steam for approx. 5-10 min.
- When cool, remove the skin from the peppers and cut into small pieces.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
- In a sauce pan, over med heat, saute the onions in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil until they begin to soften, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add the chopped roasted peppers. Cook a minute more.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until you get the desired consistency. You can leave a few chunks of pepper in there or make it totally smooth, your call.
- Put the mixture back into the sauce pan and add the half & half. Let it come to a simmer. Combine the cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of water and add. Add the parmesan cheese.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the basil.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, chicken, fish or add to sandwiches.
Notes
All nutrition information is approximate:
Calories 235; Fat 18.6 gr; Cholesterol 58 mg; Sodium 232 mg; Carbs 11.4 gr; Fiber 1.7 gr; Sugar 5.9 gr; Protein 6.8 gr
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
Hi!! I love this recipe but need to multiply it for a crowd. How many people would this recipe serve? thanks for your time! yours, Eleanor
Hi Eleanor! This is one of my favorite sauces! I could drink this. I would safely say it would feed 6 so doubling it you will get at least 12 servings.
I recently stumbled across your blog and I LOVE it. My family of four has embarked on the journey to eat more natural as well. I appreciate that you keep it realistic with an 80% overall goal. I really enjoyed reading through your budget series and seeing you struggle with some of the same issues we do as a family as well. Picky eaters, budgeting, and the simple fact that eating better costs more. You get what you pay for! Thank you for all your informative posts! I look forward to following your blog and perusing back posts.
I am so happy you like my blog Jenny! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment!
I loved your recipe and the step-by-step pictures…like you I too am keen to cut out processed and off-the-shelf food from of my son’s diet…pretty kicked about this homemade tomato ketchup I made for him recently 🙂
http://www.mummumtime.com/2013/12/tomato-ketchup.html
Thanks so much!