Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This roasted red pepper sauce is creamy, packed with flavor and so easy to make. It’s perfect as a pasta sauce, with chicken, fish or even meatballs. This vegan friendly recipe is healthy and ready in 15 minutes!

I am a biiiiiig sauce girl. Almost all of my dinners consist of a protein, carb and veggie with some sort of sauce drizzled on top. My basil pesto dressing is always a hit, but I had a jar of roasted red pepper lying around and came up with this masterpiece.

I now always have a batch in the fridge because it’s perfect for so many recipes. Chicken, pasta, tilapia, tofu, or even simmered with some chickpeas.

This recipe is made with simple, pantry staple ingredients and can easily be made vegan. It’s ready in 20 minutes, silky smooth and so versatile. Try my pomodoro sauce next!

Key ingredients

Roasted red peppers. We’re taking a shortcut and using roasted red peppers from a jar, but you can definitely make them fresh if you prefer! Most 16 ounce jars have about 4-5 large peppers.

Shallot & garlic. We’ll saute two shallots and some garlic to create a lot of flavor.

Tomato paste. If you have issues with tomatoes, you can leave this out, but it does add a lot of flavor especially when you saute it with the shallot and garlic.

Parmesan. I used regular parmesan, but you can use my homemade cashew parmesan to keep this recipe completely vegan.

Milk. I used plain, unsweetened almond milk, but you can use regular cow’s milk, soy milk etc. Most red pepper sauces call for heavy cream, but I find it gets plenty creamy with the parmesan.

Spices. Salt, pepper, basil and red pepper flakes help round out all of the flavors. You can uses fresh basil if you prefer, I just like to top it off with the fresh stuff instead.

How to make roasted red pepper sauce

Saute. Dice the shallot and add to a skillet with the oil.

Saute for about 5 minutes over medium/low heat. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste and saute for 2-3 minutes

Blend. Transfer to a blender with all remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.

Serve. Serve with pasta, chicken, veggies or as a dip with your favorite bread!

How to store and freeze

To store: This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Just reheat either on the stove or in the microwave. If you go the microwave route, just be sure to cover it with a paper towel since it can splatter and create a big mess.

To freeze: Allow the sauce to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. I suggest storing in small containers so you can defrost only what’s needed.

Allow the sauce to thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stove until warm.

Make it spicy!

This recipe already has a pretty good kick to it thanks to the red pepper flakes, but you can definitely take it up a notch. First, you can simply add more red pepper flakes. Even just 1/4 teaspoon can make a difference.

Alternatively, you can saute a jalapeno pepper with the shallot/garlic Include the seeds and the white part on the inside for extra spice.

Ways to use red pepper sauce

Pasta.The most obvious use for this sauce is as a tomato-free alternative to marinara. It’s nice to change things up once in a while and there are lots of people who can’t eat tomatoes anyway.

Pizza. This sauce would be delicious as an alternative to traditional pizza sauce! You can try my gluten free pizza crust for a fully homemade recipe.

Chicken/meat. I love this with pasta and chicken together, though it would be great with just chicken! I like to just pan fry some and drizzle this on top. Also delicious with my turkey meatballs.

Veggies. You can omit the milk and make this a thicker sauce and use it as a dip for veggies! Alternatively, this is great with a bunch of roasted veggies like potatoes, broccoli, or zucchini.

Top any bowl. I love adding a drizzle of this sauce on top of buddha bowls or a simple chicken, rice and veggie bowl!

More sauces and dips you’ll love!

• Best Pesto Sauce
• Beetroot Hummus
• Peanut Sauce
• Veggie Pasta Sauce

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