This creamy 10-ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is bursting with fresh bell peppers, garlic, parmesan, sweet basil and rich, smoky flavors! It can be made in advance and freezes beautifully, making it the perfect sauce to have on hand when you want to get dinner on the table in a hurry! Try using this sauce with pasta, chicken, fish, shrimp, meatballs and roasted vegetables or spaghetti bakes and lasagna! Or, try using it as a dip for mozzarella sticks and fries, or as a condiment for sandwiches and wraps! Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Roast Peppers: (Optional: Skip this step if using jarred roasted red peppers)Oven: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Add peppers to prepared baking sheet, laying then on their sides. Roast, flipping over halfway through baking, for 25-30 minutes, or until the outsides are charred. Transfer charred pepper to a large bowl.-OR- Gas Stove Top: Place a red pepper directly over an open flame on a gas burner set to medium-high. Cook, using tongs to rotate the pepper a quarter or a turn every 2 minutes or as necessary, until charred all over. Transfer charred pepper to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining peppers.
Steam Peppers: (Optional: Skip this step if using jarred roasted red peppers) Add garlic cloves to the bowl with the peppers and cover with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid. Let the peppers steam for 15-20 minutes. Remove cover from bowl. Transfer peppers to a clean work surface. Remove the charred skin, stems and seeds; discard. Roughly chop the peppers into medium dice. Roughly chop the garlic.
Cook vegetables: Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened and slightly golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, paprika and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring the combine. Add in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized and paste coats the vegetables, about 2 minutes.
Add peppers: Add the roasted red peppers to the pot, along with any juices that have collected. Stir, using the moisture from the peppers to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute and then remove pot from heat.
Blend: Transfer vegetable mixture to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add in 2 tablespoons of the stock along with both vinegars and half of the basil leaves. Puree until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed, adding more salt and pepper for flavor.
Simmer: Transfer the roasted red pepper mixture back to the pot and place over medium-low heat. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer and stir in the remaining ¼ cup of stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes or until warm throughout. Thinly slice the remaining basil leaves and add them to the pot along with the parmesan. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh herbs.
Serve: Ladle or toss the sauce with warm pasta or use in your favorite recipe! Enjoy!
Notes
Jarred Roasted Red Peppers: To save time, I recommend using store-bought roasted red peppers in this recipe! You will need approximately 1 ½ (16 ounce) jars (or ONE 22-ounce jar if you can find it!). Make sure you thoroughly drain the peppers to avoid watering down your sauce! (SKIP steps 1 and 2. Plus, see below note about garlic!)
Garlic: If you are using jarred roasted red bell peppers, peel and roughly chop your garlic before adding it to the pot with the shallots in step 3.
Seasoning: Season you sauce to your specific taste! If you don’t like a lot of heat, only use ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. If you like things spicy, use ¾ teaspoon or more red pepper flakes.
Storage: Store the sauce in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Please see the post for complete storage and freezing instructions.
To reheat: Add sauce to a saucepan and place over low heat. Reheat, stirring frequently, until warmed throughout. Use as a pasta sauce, a sauce for meats and chicken, a dip for vegetables, etc.
Yield: approximately 3 ½ cupsNutritional information is an approximation based upon 7 (1/2 cup) servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.