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This rich and creamy roasted red pepper sauce recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and is a great alternative to tomato-based sauces. Enjoy it as a pasta sauce, sauce for proteins, dip, drizzle, or spread.
I love making pasta so for me it’s a “must” to have easy, flavorful pasta sauces ready to go any time I might need one. Not only is this roasted red pepper sauce simple to prepare, but it’s super versatile too. Along with being a perfect pasta sauce, it also makes for a great general sauce, dip, drizzle, or spread to be used in many ways!
Ingredients
- Roasted Red Peppers: Use your favorite brand of jarred roasted red peppers or roast red bell peppers at home in the oven.
- Heavy Cream: To make the sauce creamy and rich. Alternatively, use a lighter option.
- Butter: For a silky smooth texture. You could also use olive oil.
- Garlic Cloves: adjust the amount to personal preference.
- Seasoning: oregano, salt and pepper.
- To garnish, optionally, a few fresh basil leaves.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make roasted red pepper sauce
Blend the peppers: First, transfer the roasted peppers to a blender and add 1-2 Tbsp of the liquid from the jar. Then blend until smooth.
Simmer the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Then add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Add the blended roasted peppers and the spices (oregano, pepper, salt) and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer and lower the heat. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces a bit and becomes thicker.
Finally, add the cream, stir to combine, and taste test. If needed, adjust the seasoning to your liking. And voila – the roasted red pepper sauce is ready to enjoy!
How to use it?
This roasted red pepper sauce is super versatile. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- As a pasta sauce: It’s a great alternative to tomato-based pasta sauces. I love enjoying it with any cooked pasta, added directly to the pan, and topped with some parmesan cheese!
- As a pizza sauce: Use it in place of regular marinara for this delicious homemade Neapolitan pizza.
- Bread to dip: You can serve with baguettes, pita bread, crackers, pretzels, simit, or even flatbread.
- Spread over bread: For example in wraps, sandwiches, or burgers. Grilled cheese with this sauce is simply amazing.
- With proteins: You can pour it over or bake this red pepper sauce with your favorite proteins like baked chicken, seafood, tofu, or veggies. It also makes for a great sauce with Italian meatballs.
- With veggies: It also pairs well with all sorts of cooked veggies like broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, roasted cauliflower, etc.
More sauce recipes
If you try this roasted red pepper pasta sauce recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
The Best Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz roasted red peppers 1 jar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (double cream)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Transfer the roasted peppers to a blender and add 1-2 Tbsp of the liquid from the jar. Blend until smooth.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Then add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the blended roasted peppers and the spices (oregano, pepper, salt) and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer and lower the heat. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces a bit and becomes thicker.
- Add the cream, stir to combine, and taste test. If needed, adjust the seasoning to your liking. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I didn’t come to your website for a long time and I was trying to find one recipe but it seems so dificulta now with so many ads I can’t even find what I was looking for . Also the recipes have less photos and can’t understand it like before … it got a bit difficult .
Hi Patricia,
I’m really sorry to hear you’re having trouble finding recipes on the site! We’re working on improving things and making it easier to navigate. If you have a specific recipe in mind, let me know, and I’ll help you find it. Thanks for your feedback!
Best,
Samira
Hi,
Does it make a big difference if I don’t use the double cream for this recipe ? What can I substitute it with ? I can’t tolerate any kind of milk (cow, goat etc) or milk substitute like almond, rice etc. Thanks.
Sam
Hi Sam,
If you don’t use the double cream, there will be some difference in the taste of the sauce. Try substituting it with some coconut milk or cream. Alternatively, if you are using the sauce for pasta, you can use some of the pasta water – the starch in the water can help bring it to the right consistency, too. Let me know if you give it a try!
Super yummy, very quick to make. Perfect for an office lunch too!
Thank you for your comment, Charlotte. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I MAKE A RICH, SMOKY ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP IN MUCH THE SAME WAY BUT USING CHICKEN STOCK AND HALF-AND-HALF, NO TOMATO.
Hi Barbara.
Thank you for the comment. Your version sounds delicious.
I love it
Thank you for your comment. 🙂
For a few seconds I thought you referred to non-dairy milk as ‘cat milk’ as a vegan insiders joke to break the cognitive dissonance that says consuming cow milk is ok but using that of other animals is disgusting.
Glad it’s just oat milk, though :). Great recipe!
I wish I had thought of this explanation, Willem 🙂
It’s just oat milk written in a font I might have to change 🙂