Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Vegan, GF| Pasta sauce, Dip, Spread)

Rich and creamy 6-ingredient roasted red pepper sauce in under 30 minutes! This red pepper cream sauce combines smoky-sweet roasted peppers and tomatoes (optional) with garlic, paprika, and a little milk (dairy or dairy-free) – plus tons of ways to adjust the recipe to your flavor and dietary needs. Enjoy it as a roasted red pepper pasta sauce, sauce for proteins, dip, drizzle, or spread! Plus, this recipe is gluten–free, dairy–free, vegan, paleo, etc.!

With how much I make pasta, it’s become a “must” to have simple, flavorful pasta sauces at the ready for any time I might need one – like roasted tomato sauce, Bolognese sauce, and this roasted red pepper pasta sauce. Not only is this roasted red pepper cream sauce simple to prepare, but it’s super versatile too. Not just in the ingredients used to prepare it but also in how you choose to serve it. Because along with being a perfect pasta sauce, this roasted pepper sauce also makes for a great general sauce, dip, drizzle, or spread to be used in tons and tons of ways!

6-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

When it comes to roasted red peppers, I’m obsessed! Whether I’m adding them to hummus, muhammara (red pepper walnut dip), or Ajvar (red pepper eggplant dip), the smoky, savory, sweet flavor is to die for! Not to mention allowing you to make this 6-ingredient creamy roasted red pepper sauce and not feel like you’re missing out on flavor! Instead, this might just become your new favorite regular pasta sauce or dip/drizzle for veggies, proteins, and more. 

More so, this simple roasted red pepper tomato sauce is perfect for adding pizzaz to any bland meal. So what does it taste like? Well, it’s savory, smoky, and subtly sweet, packed with roasted red pepper flavor and a hint of sweet tomato (which are optional). Especially thanks to the roasting step that enhances the pepper’s natural sweetness. It’s also wonderfully creamy without being too rich, thanks to the use of “just enough” dairy-free milk!

Did I mention that you could even make this vegan roasted red pepper sauce with jarred roasted red peppers?! Making it a pantry-friendly sauce perfect for any last-minute meal. Once ready, you can use the sauce immediately or save it for later in the fridge or freezer. When you want to use it, allow it to thaw slightly and reheat, and away you go!

Looking for more versatile sauces that will help keep your pasta night from becoming boring? You might also enjoy this creamy vegan mushroom sauce, avocado pasta sauce, or baked feta and beet sauce!

The Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Ingredients

• Red Peppers: I recommend using any mild red pepper (like red bell peppers or pointed red peppers like Carmen Italian peppers or Banana peppers). To experiment with heat, feel free to use a combination of mild and medium/spicy peppers.
• Cherry Tomatoes: I use fresh cherry tomatoes. You could also use small plum tomatoes or high-quality tinned tomatoes (like DOP San Marzano tomatoes). All options will change the texture and flavor in different ways, so feel free to experiment.
• Garlic Cloves: adjust the amount to personal preference. I usually use raw garlic, though you could also use roasted for a milder, sweeter flavor.
• Plant-based milk – I used oat milk as it’s creamy and rich. You could also use cashew milk or another dairy-free milk of your choice. If you don’t want the sauce creamy, use vegetable stock instead.
• Oil: use any neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil. For an oil-free version, you could use water or veggie broth.
• Smoked paprika: this pairs wonderfully with the roasted red peppers to enhance their smoky flavor. Feel free to use sweet or hot paprika, too, to preference.
• Salt & Pepper.

Optional Add-ins and Recipe Variations

There are several ways that you can customize this sauce to your liking. This includes adding heat, removing/ increasing creaminess, or simply adding extra ingredients to find the perfect roasted pepper sauce for you.

• Red pepper paste: this is available in most Mediterranean/Middle eastern stores (often in the Turkish section) and can provide depth to the roasted red pepper flavor. You could also use tomato paste. 
• Onion: or shallot – I’d add one, finely diced, and sauté it with the garlic for several minutes until translucent. 
• Tomato-free: for a tomato-free version of this creamy roasted red pepper sauce, you can swap out the tomatoes for more peppers. 
• Italian seasonings: this roasted pepper pasta sauce pairs so well with Italian seasoning. I recommend adding a teaspoon and increasing to taste. You could also use just one or two dried herbs – like dried basil.
• Fresh parsley: add a big handful of finely chopped parsley or chuck it into the blender – either way, it will taste delicious! You could also experiment with other fresh herbs like basil
• Cheese: if you eat dairy, then parmesan cheese is a perfect addition to this roasted red pepper tomato sauce. For a vegan sauce, you could use nutritional yeast. 
• Acid: lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar will add depth to the flavor. Start with one teaspoon and increase to taste. 
• Sugar: sometimes, peppers can have a slightly bitter taste (depending on their ripeness), so you can add a sprinkle of sugar to counteract this. 
• Cumin: red peppers and cumin pair wonderfully – add to taste.
• Spicy red pepper sauce: you could add a red chili or jalapeno to the sauce. Remove the seeds for less heat and increase/decrease the amount used depending on how spicy you’d like the sauce. Alternatively, you could add a little chili pasta or use some Chili Oil or red pepper flakes.
• For a creamier sauce: you can add a dash of plant-based cream such as coconut cream or Oat Milk Creamer (or dairy heavy cream, if you consume it) for a richer roasted red pepper cream sauce. A spoonful of unsalted cashew butter or almond butter can also add a delicious, rich, and creamy element to the sauce. 
• For a non-creamy sauce: omit the plant-based milk from the bell pepper sauce. 

How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Step 1: Roast the peppers and tomatoes

First, preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 

Then clean, dry, and lightly brush the peppers and tomatoes with a bit of oil. Then spread on a baking tray. 

I tend to roast the peppers whole THEN remove the stem and seeds. However, feel free to do that first if preferred. 

Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, or until softened with charred, blackened skin. If the peppers haven’t charred much, you can broil them for a minute or two at the end. 

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Step 2: Steam the peppers

After cooking, transfer the peppers to a jar or a bowl covered with plastic wrap/foil/a plate. Then, allow the peppers to steam for 10-15 minutes. This will increase the smoky flavor throughout the peppers and make the skins easy to peel. 

Once they’ve cooled enough to handle, carefully peel the skins. While it’s possible to leave them on, it can make the sauce more bitter and “bitty.” 

Step 3: Blend the roasted pepper sauce

Then, transfer all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you plan on reducing it further on the stovetop, I recommend leaving out the ‘milk’ for now and mixing it in at the end (to avoid any separation). 

Once blended, you can taste and adjust any of the seasonings. Then, you can either enjoy the sauce immediately OR pour it into a saucepan and slowly simmer it on the stovetop to reduce and thicken it slightly and help the flavors develop. 

Optionally, you can sauté the garlic for several minutes first if you’d prefer a milder garlic flavor in the sauce.

How to Store Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

Make ahead: You could roast, steam, and peel the peppers in advance and store them in an airtight container for 4-6 days. Cover them in a thin layer of olive oil to increase the shelf life to 10-12 days. They can also freeze for up to 2 months. 

Store: Allow the creamy roasted red pepper sauce to cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. 

Freeze: absolutely- though it’s best to do so with roasted red pepper pasta sauce minus any milk/cream. Transfer the dip to an airtight freezer-safe container or Ziplock bag (with all the air removed) and store for up to one month. 

To thaw, you can leave it in the fridge OR place the bag/container in warm water for 25-30 minutes before reheating. It may separate slightly when thawing, but reheat and stir well, and it should be good to go. 

Reheat: you can reheat the roasted red pepper cream sauce gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the sauce thickened up while storing, feel free to add an extra splash or two of veggie stock, water, or even cream to bring it back to your desired consistency. 

How to Serve?

As I’ve probably already made fairly clear – this roasted red pepper sauce is super versatile. You can easily thin out or reduce the creamy roasted red pepper sauce based on how you plan to use it. Here are some of my top picks:

• As a pasta sauce: For all your favorite pasta types like this Vegan Pasta, Rainbow Spaghetti (all-natural), Spinach pasta, or even Homemade Pappardelle (floral) or gnocchi. It works well for simple pasta dishes and pasta bakes, as a red pepper spaghetti sauce or even lasagna.
• With eggs: For example, as a base for Turkish eggs/Shakshuka dishes, French baked eggs, eggs in purgatory, scrambled eggs (or scrambled tofu), etc.
• With potatoes: For example, you could use this roasted red pepper tomato sauce as a dipping sauce for accordion potatoes or drizzle over smashed potatoes or fries.
• As a pizza sauce: In place of regular marinara for this Delicious Homemade Neapolitan pizza (Marinara style), Sweet Potato Crust Pizza, Butternut Squash Pizza, or Low-Carb Cauliflower Pizza (Mini Pizzas).
• Spread over bread: For example in wraps, sandwiches, pita, burgers, tacos. Like a grilled cheese, using the tortilla hack for wraps, these Rainbow Vegan Tacos, Breakfast Tacos, or Meat-free Rainbow Tacos: 4-ways.
• Bread to dip: You can serve with pita bread, crackers, pretzels, simit, flatbread (like garlic naan or manakish). 
• OR with burgers: Like this sweet potato black bean burger, pumpkin bean burger, or sweet potato burger.
• With proteins: You can pour it over or bake this red pepper cream sauce with your favorite proteins like chicken, seafood, tofu, tempeh, or veggies. It also makes for a great sauce with meatballs.
• With fries: I love to dollop some over fully-loaded fries/ nachos and veggie fries or even mozzarella sticks. 
• Salad bowls: I particularly like serving this roasted red pepper sauce with a simple leafy green salad, Mediterranean vegetable salad bowl and grain bowls with quinoa or brown rice.
• With veggies: This creamy roasted red pepper sauce pairs well with all sorts of cooked veggies like broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, etc.

FAQs

Recipe Notes and Top Tips

• Experiment with red peppers: based on how mild vs spicy you want the sauce to be – and what’s available in your local area.
• For a thicker sauce: if you want to change the thickness of the sauce, you have two options. For a marinara-style sauce, you can slowly simmer it on the stovetop over medium heat to reduce and thicken the sauce. You can also use starch – such as cornstarch, to thicken the sauce quickly – without reducing it. 
• Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking: more/less garlic, paprika, etc. Or even add extra herbs/spices like fresh basil or parsley, etc. 

More Pepper/Chili Recipes

• Red chili paste
• Homemade chili sauce
• Chili oil
• Chili flakes
• Roasted pepper salad
• Fried Padron peppers

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More Delicious Pasta Recipes

• Baked feta beet pasta
• Spinach green pasta salad
• Caprese pasta salad
• Tomato eggplant pasta (pasta alla norma)
• Baked feta tomato pasta
• Roasted cherry tomato pasta
• Vegetarian one-pot pasta bake
• Vegan bechamel pasta bake

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If you try this simple creamy roasted red pepper sauce recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!