Why we love this Recipe for Red Pepper Sauce
This roasted pepper cream sauce is loaded with fresh ingredients like red bell peppers, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil for maximum flavor. It tastes approximately 1,000x better than any jar of sauce you might pick up from the grocery store. You can adjust the flavor to taste. If you prefer a spicier sauce, just add more crushed red pepper. If you like it creamier, increase the amount of cream in the recipe! In Provo, Utah, there is a restaurant just south of BYU campus called Brick Oven. They serve pizzas and pasta and it is an institution for anyone who has ever been to BYU. In my 8 years in Provo, first an undergrad and then as a law student, I went there on dates, before or after ball games or dances, to celebrate birthdays or graduation, or for no reason at all other than my family was in town to visit and the food at Brick Oven is just goooood. Not fancy or ground-breaking, but definitely delicious. Especially their roasted red pepper sauce. Homemade sauces take pasta night to the next level, whether it’s a Classic Homemade Marinara Sauce or a labor of love like our Best Bolognese Sauce. But some of our other favorites are Homemade Basil Pesto or a creamy Alfredo Sauce. My favorite thing about Brick Oven is their pasta bar where you choose from ten or so different fresh pastas that change from day-to-day (black pepper fettuccine! garlic fettuccine! red pepper fettuccine! I need to learn to make pasta so I can have them all!) and they get dumped into boiling water and cooked for you right there as you watch. While you wait, you can select either meatballs or Italian sausages and garlic bread pulled straight from an open-flame brick oven to go with your pasta. Then you get to choose your sauce, which is self-serve so you can do any combination you want. I always chose the roasted red pepper sauce, usually with a little marinara or alfredo sauce on the side for good measure (and because I could!). Now that I don’t live in Provo anymore, if I want amazing roasted red pepper sauce like I remember from Brick Oven, I make it myself. Like my classic homemade marinara sauce or the sauce from my Bombay House (incidentally, another BYU hotspot) copycat chicken tikka masala, this roasted red pepper sauce takes a little extra time. It’s not hard, and it’s not like you will be slaving all day, but there are a couple of extra steps, like roasting your peppers and garlic, that are totally worth it because the flavor of the sauce is so wonderful and unique. I have a tutorial on how to make roasted garlic and another on how to make roasted red peppers, although you can always used jarred roasted red peppers from the store. The splash of cream and freshly grated Parmesan take this sauce over the top and give it a richness and creaminess that is just so wonderful and helps the sauce cling to whatever pasta you serve it with. It’s also wonderful with grilled sausages, Italian meatballs, or Parmesan chicken. Or just have it for a wonderful meatless meal with a little extra fresh Parmesan grated over the top and ribbons of fresh basil.
Red Pepper Sauce ingredients
Roasted Red Peppers: You can either buy jars of roasted red peppers or make your own. Either way, they aren’t spicy at all, but have a wonderful zippy flavor that works great in this sauce. Garlic: It might seem shocking that this recipe calls for two entire heads of garlic, but just trust me. Roasting garlic in the oven mellows out the flavor considerably and it turns buttery and rich and fantastic. If you are short on time and need to skip roasting the garlic, you can just use four cloves instead and simply mince and saute them with the onion. Olive Oil & Butter: These add richness to the sauce and are used to saute the veggies. Onion: A yellow onion works well to create a deep flavor base for this sauce. Broth: A little chicken broth thins out the sauce a bit so it more easily coats your pasta. You could use vegetable broth instead, if you want a vegetarian version. If you prefer a thicker sauce that you could on burgers, sandwiches, or eggs, just leave the broth out. Cream: A little heavy cream adds a wonderful silkiness and richness to the roasted red pepper sauce, similar to alfredo sauce but with more pizzazz thanks to the peppers. Parmesan Cheese: I only use freshly grated parmesan cheese because it melts into the sauce so much better. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: These are optional, but sometimes I like my red pepper sauce to have a bit of a kick. Just a pinch of red pepper flakes does the trick every time. Salt & Pepper: Be sure to taste your sauce and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Nobody wants bland sauce!
Red Pepper Sauce Recipe substitutions and variations
Use a different color bell pepper. You can use yellow or orange bell peppers, if that’s what you have on hand. You won’t have the same lovely pink color that you get from the red bell peppers, but the flavor is just the same. Make it dairy-free. You can replace the butter with olive oil, omit the Parmesan cheese (or use a vegan cheese), and use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream to replace the heavy cream for a dairy-free version.
How to make Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Tips
Add a protein: This sauce is fantastic with sauteed or grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, or grilled fish. For a thicker sauce: If you want a thicker sauce for topping meat or even pizza instead of coating pasta, try leaving out the chicken broth entirely rather than using a cornstarch slurry. Adjusting salt: If you are using jarred roasted red peppers, you might not need any salt at all, especially with the salty Parmesan, so be sure to taste the sauce before salting.
Ways to serve Red Pepper Sauce
Obviously this sauce is fantastic served with fresh pasta, but it can be used in a number of other ways as well. With chicken or fish. We like to pan-sear chicken or fish, then finish it in the sauce or spoon some of the hot sauce on top to finish. On a pizza. Replace your typical pizza sauce with roasted red pepper sauce for a savory and delicious change. Spread on sandwiches or wraps. This sauce makes an excellent condiment for all kinds of lunch time favorites.
How to store Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Any unused sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend reheating gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat while stirring with a wooden spoon and adding an additional splash of cream or broth to bring the sauce together if it has separated.
Can Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce be frozen?
I don’t recommend freezing this sauce as it tends to separate and not reheat well after thawing.
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love
Classic Homemade Marinara Sauce Best Bolognese Sauce Recipe Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs One Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil
This post was originally published in August, 2016. The photos and content were updated in March, 2021. Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see. Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
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