This delicious Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is super easy to make in just 15 minutes and is the perfect accompaniment to your pizzas and pastas. And all you need is some roasted peppers, tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and a pinch of chili for a bit of spice to add flavor and depth to any dish!
This roasted red pepper sauce recipe is the perfect sauce for our fantastic Greek pizza.
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
Roasted red pepper sauce is one of the easiest sauces to make! It's packed with flavor from toasted peppers blended with garlic, olive oil, and herbs and makes a delicious addition to many dishes like pastas, pizzas, and sandwiches.
Jarred roasted bell peppers add smoky flavor and sweetness, the tomato paste helps thicken the sauce while adding a bright flavor, and the garlic adds depth of flavor while the herbs provide an earthy aroma. Lastly, red pepper flakes spice up this aromatic sauce.
This red pepper sauce is so versatile - it can be used as a pasta sauce, as a dip for tacos and wraps, and makes an excellent marinade for grilled meats or vegetables. Best of all, this sauce comes together in minutes and is 1000x better than any store-bought red pepper pasta sauce you can buy.
So, next time you’re looking for an easy, flavorful sauce to jazz up your meal, this red pepper sauce is the perfect choice! And if you want to make more easy homemade sauces for your meals, check out our Marinara sauce, Tzatziki sauce, and Enchilada sauce.
🍽 Key Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this flavorful and tasty roasted red pepper sauce:
Roasted peppers - The main ingredient in this delicious sauce is roasted red bell peppers. They provide a smoky, sweet flavor and lend a beautiful color to the sauce. Use canned roasted red peppers to save time in the kitchen, or make your own.
Tomato paste - Tomato paste thickens the sauce and adds a bright flavor.
Extra virgin olive oil - This helps to emulsify the sauce and add richness without overpowering the other flavors.
Fresh garlic - A few cloves of garlic are always a welcome addition to any flavorful sauce.
Herbs - You'll need a mixture of dried oregano, parsley, and fresh basil to give the sauce its earthy flavor that pairs perfectly with the bitter tomato paste and sweet red peppers. If you have fresh basil, that is great - if not, use dried.
Spices - The final ingredient is crushed red pepper flakes to add a bit of heat.
Substitutions
If you don't have all of the ingredients on hand, here are some substitutions that will work just as well:
Tomato paste
You can use 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes for a slightly thinner consistency if you don't have tomato paste on hand.
Oil
Use quality oil for this sauce, like avocado, canola, or regular olive oil.
Roasted peppers
If you want to be a real pro, you can make your own roasted red peppers by charring 3 or 4 fresh red bell peppers over a hot grill or flame for 10 minutes. Once charred, remove the skins and seeds, and let them cool to drain the juices.
🔪 How to make
It only takes a blender to whip up this delightfully tasty roasted red pepper sauce!
Preparations
Step 1
Drain the liquid from the jarred peppers.
Step 2
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process on high-speed to your desired consistency.
Step 3
Pour the roasted red pepper mixture into a jug for serving immediately or a bottle/airtight container for storing.
💭 Cooking tips
Smooth consistency
If you want a smooth consistency, blend it for 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain the juices from the jar
Use a strainer to completely drain the juices from the red peppers before adding them to the blender to avoid a watery sauce.
📖 Recipe Variations
If you want to change things up a bit, here are some delicious variations of this roasted pepper sauce that you can try:
Creamy roasted red pepper sauce
For a creamier version, add ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half to the blender before blending. You can also use coconut milk for a tropical twist.
Spicy red pepper sauce
If you have fresh or canned green chiles, add 2 or 3 of them to the blender to give the sauce a fiery upgrade. You can also add a tablespoon of hot sauce or cayenne pepper if you like it really spicy.
Roasted garlic red pepper sauce
If you love garlic, add 3 to 4 additional roasted garlic cloves when blending the sauce. Roasting them first will bring out their sweetness and intensify the flavor. Check our guide on how to roast garlic.
🥗 What to serve with
This delicious roasted red pepper sauce is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes. It's great to spread on sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and pizzas.
Pasta
You can mix this sauce into any tomato-based pasta recipe like this sausage, mushroom, tomato pasta, tomato and basil pasta, or fried spaghetti to give it some sweet red pepper flavor.
Pizza
Upgrade your pizza night by swapping out your standard pizza sauce with this red pepper sauce. You can even use it in dishes as a replacement tomato-based sauce, like pasta pizza casserole, pizza pockets, and used as a dip for pizza monkey bread.
Sandwiches or wraps
This sauce makes a great condiment for sandwiches and wraps. Spread it on a sandwich with grilled chicken, pork, and shrimp, or use it as a dip with a cheese quesadilla or fried tacos.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
Why is my roasted red pepper pasta sauce bitter?
If your sauce is bitter, it may be because of the jar of roasted red peppers you used or too much tomato paste. One way to counteract the bitterness is by adding a teaspoon of sugar.
Do you have to peel charred red peppers?
No, you don't have to. But it's recommended that you remove the skins and seeds from the roasted peppers before adding them to the blender for a smooth sauce.
How do you thicken red pepper sauce?
If you want a thicker sauce, you can reduce it over low heat in a saucepan for a few minutes to thicken it.
🧊 Storing
Leftover roasted pepper sauce is made with natural ingredients that don't turn sour quickly, so you can enjoy it again and again with your favorite meals.
Fridge - Store leftover sauce in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer - Freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 5 months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before using it. You'll need to give it a good stir before serving.
🍳 Related sauce recipes
This sauce is just the beginning of delicious pasta-based recipes.
👪 Serving size
This roasted red pepper sauce recipe yields 2 cups. You can easily scale the recipe up or down to suit your needs.
From creamy to spicy and everything in between, this versatile sauce is the perfect condiment to add flavor to a variety of dishes. With just a few simple ingredients and a blender, you can quickly whip up this delicious sauce to enjoy with friends and family.
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📋 Recipe
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounces Roasted red bell peppers - jar, drained
- 4 tablespoons Tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 cloves Garlic - finely minced
- 2 tablespoons Fresh basil - packed chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano - or 1 ½ tablespoons fresh
- ½ teaspoon Dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preparations
- Drain the liquid from the jarred peppers.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process on high-speed to your desired consistency.
- Pour the roasted red pepper mixture into a jug for serving immediately or a bottle/airtight container for storing.
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