Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Jarred tomato sauce, you love to hate them, but love them anyways because of their convenience. If you told me 10 years ago that I would be making my own sweet roasted red pepper tomato sauce I would’ve laughed at you. For one because I LOVE jarred tomato sauce and two because I always pictured an Italian grandmother in the kitchen stewing tomatoes for hours to get deep rich flavor.

This roasted red pepper sauce is naturally sweet, velvety, with rich deep flavor. It starts with your basic ingredients, and in only an hour you are left with a delicious tomato sauce packed with flavor, perfect for pasta. The best part about this recipe is it’s 8 ingredients you can pronounce, and there is no extra sugar or preservatives. At first taste you are amazed that this sauce developed SO much flavor so fast. Let it sit overnight and it might just become your new favorite sauce to make.

What You’ll Need For Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• Red Bell Pepper -The sauce might use 10 Roma tomatoes but the flavor truly comes from the red bell peppers. Use large red bell peppers, and if you can’t find them orange or yellow bell peppers are a good substitute but keep in mind the flavor will lean sweeter and the color will be lighter.
• Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes work best because they have low water content and a firm, fleshy texture. However, if you can only find ‘plum’ tomatoes, those will work as well! Roma is simply one variety of plum tomato. What you want to avoid are overly watery tomatoes, such as vine or slicing varieties. The higher the water content in the tomato, the thinner and waterier your sauce will be—another reason plum or Roma tomatoes are ideal.
• Yellow Onions
• Garlic – Fresh only, in the bulb. We will roast the full bulbs while roasting the other ingredients then squeeze out the sweet garlic.
• Fresh Basil
• Red Pepper Flakes – Don’t worry this sauce isn’t spicy. The chili flakes balance out the natural sweetness you get from the roasted tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions.
• Olive Oil – A good extra virgin olive oil will impart a ton of flavor here.
• Salt

Tools Needed

• Blender or Immersion Blender – A blender will give you a smoother sauce, but honestly, I make this sauce for its rustic texture. An immersion blender works well too and saves you the hassle of cleaning a traditional blender.

How To Make Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1. Roast the Vegetables – On a sheet pan, toss tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, and garlic generously in olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Don’t worry about how everything is cut; it will all get blended later. I roughly chopped everything and kept the garlic in the skin to prevent over-browning or burning.

Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes. The tomatoes and onions will shrivel, the bell peppers will char, and the garlic will become super soft and sweet. Let the roasted vegetables cool for 10 minutes.

Optional but recommended: Remove the skins from the tomatoes and roasted red peppers before blending. This is a rustic sauce, meant to have a slightly chunky texture. However, if you prefer a smoother consistency, removing the skins will help.

2. Blend – Once cooled, transfer the roasted vegetables, and chopped basil to a blender. For an easier option, simply dump the tray into the pot you’ll use for stewing and blend with an immersion blender. Be sure to include all the residual juices, but remove the garlic cloves from their skins first. This can easily be done by squeeing the base of the bulb and working the cloves out.

Blend or puree until you reach your desired consistency. If the mixture isn’t already in a pot, transfer it now. Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes and season with salt to taste if needed.

3. Simmer to Perfection – Simmer the sauce with the lid on for 5–7 minutes. From here, you can either store it in the fridge or enjoy it right away. See below for recommendations.

Recipe Video

How to Serve Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I love this sauce because of how versatile it is. Below are my suggestions.

• Pasta – Place the desired amount of red pepper pasta sauce in a skillet over low heat. Add the cooked pasta along with a splash of pasta water, and toss everything together. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce clings to the pasta. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
• Pizza – Use this sweeter tomato sauce instead of marinara on homemade pizza or flatbread.
• Crusty Bread – Treat this sauce like an appetizer or dip and serve warm with some crusty bread.
• Chicken or Pork – Use to top grilled chicken or pork. This sauce would also be a great substitute for chicken Parmesan for a sweeter twist on a classic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing/Reheating

Fridge Storage: Roasted red pepper sauce can be stored in an airtight container or sealable jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. To reheat, place in a saucepan on low for 3-5 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds until warmed throughout.

Freezer Storage: If opting to freeze, bring the sauce to room temperature, then section as you please in freezer-safe containers. I recommend soup cubes. Freeze them then store in a freezer safe zip-lock bag for up to 2 months. When reheating the sauce can go from the freezer to a saucepan over low heat. This will take approx. 10 minutes to heat.