I'm not big on cooking big dinners unless it Thanksgiving or Christmas. Sometimes I just want something simple. I also prefer making my own sauces and foods compared to buying them in the store. Not only do I know what I have in terms of my ingredients, but usually it tastes a lot better and it's also better for me too. My oldest daughter is a vegetarian by choice so at times we do meatless dishes so that she can enjoy meals with us as a family. Whenever she comes up from college we try to accommodate with her lifestyle of choice. Today I want to share with you our Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce, not only is it delicious but you won't even miss the meat.
Ingredients
3 red peppers
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup half & half
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
7-8 fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
Cut red peppers in half, remove core and seeds and place on baking sheet.
Brush the peppers with one tablespoon of the olive oil and roast until the skins are bubbly and charred, about 15-20 minutes. Rotate them on the pan halfway through cooking for even browning. You can speed this process up by turning the oven up to broil. Just be sure to watch them close so they don't burn.
While the peppers are browning, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and cook the onions until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, add the garlic, stir to incorporate and let it hang out while you finish the peppers.
Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately transfer them to a brown paper bag. Fold to seal air tight and let sit for 5 minutes.
Remove the peppers from the bag and scrape the skins off with a knife.
Add the peppers, onions, garlic, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Transfer everything from the blender back to the pan and add the salt, pepper and one cup of vegetable broth.
Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to low and add the butter, half and half and basil. Stir and let cook for 2 minutes to let everything warm through.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Toss the sauce with any kind of cooked pasta you like and top with extra basil and Parmesan, if desired. This was enough to thoroughly coat a 16-ounce box of fettucine noodles.
Eat and enjoy!
That sounds really good. We are all about sauces in our house. Yum!
ReplyDeleteSauces make everything tastes good, well that's what the kids say.
DeleteMy husband loves red peppers- he would love this! I would totally make this on a pasta Sunday. Looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteKaren | GlamKaren.com
Thank you Karen and since your husband likes red peppers, I say surprise him with this recipe.
DeleteThis looks so delicious. I love pasta. It's one of my favorite foods and this recipe look amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michele, give it a try and let me know if you liked it.
DeleteI love the control you get when you make your own sauces. You can control the fat, salt and thickness. Great recipe!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's the reason I love making home made. They taste so much better in my opinion.
DeleteI love the flavor of roasted red peppers. This sauce looks incredible. I can't wait to try it out.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you liked it if you do decide to give it a try .
DeleteRoasted Red peppers are one of my favorites. I can't wait to try this sauce.
ReplyDeleteWe love roasted red peppers here in my house too. It's like my favorite.
DeleteThis looks so good! We love pasta in my house and I usually use the healthier sauce but this looks great!
ReplyDeleteIt's even healthier if you make it yourself. You should do that every once in a while.
DeleteThis would be a great alternative to tomato sauce and would be better for me because peppers have less acid than tomatoes. What a delicious dish.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ana. You should try making it yourself if you're able to.
Deletethis looks amazing. I'm always looking for different sauces other than the tired tomato sauce. Great recipe.
ReplyDeleteThen I think you'll love this. Give it a shot and tell me if you do.
DeleteI am not a green pepper fan, but I love red peppers. Especially when they're roasted. I need to make this.
ReplyDeletePlease do. If you love red peppers and roasted ones at that, then you'll love this.
DeleteRoasted red pepper sauce is one of my all time favorite pasta sauces. This is one food that has to be homemade.
ReplyDeleteOh you and me both. I just LOVE my homemade sauces.
DeleteRed peppers are one of my favorite food! I am going to have to try out this sauce!
ReplyDeletePlease do and let me know how you like it.
DeleteMy son would probably love this sauce. He is a big pepper fan. He even has me put sweet peppers in his lunch.
ReplyDeleteOh then he might love this.
DeleteSomething I've never tried to make is my own sauce. This one sounds amazing. We are big spaghetti eating people, and I bet making our own sauce would be fantastic!
ReplyDeleteOh yes it would be and the fact that you're making it yourself, you know what's in it. Give it a try one day.
DeleteWhat a delicious sauce! We really love peppers and it's so much fun seeing how other people cook with them. Thank you for sharing the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Paula.
DeleteLove this amazing recipe. Hope to try this one up too pretty soon Love it!
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you're able to.
DeleteYum! I think I will have to try this! I make a red pepper based vegan Mexican cheese sauce for nachos my kids love. I think they would like this too!
ReplyDeleteOh I'm pretty sure they will and you can always experiment and make it your own.
DeleteOmg! This sounds absolutely delicious! I love anything with peppers in it. I will definitely be giving this a try.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how you like it if you do.
DeleteThis looks fantastic! This sauce would be amazing on my spaghetti squash. I can easily add ground beef to it too. Yum!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh yes you can Rachel. Change it up and make it uniquely yours. :)
DeleteThat's looks delicious!! I love all kinds of peppers and also like to make my own sauces. They just taste so much better. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite sauce? I like making my own too. Tastes so much better.
DeleteI love all peppers but especially roasted ones. This sounds & looks so good - must give it a try sometime
ReplyDeleteSounds and Looks good and Tastes great!
DeleteOk this seems super simple and easy, I'm almost convinced I could it, lol! Curious as to why the paper bag though? What does it do to the peppers?
ReplyDeleteOh I'm pretty sure that you can do it. It's an old trick and it helps the skin peel off so much easier/quickly. :)
DeletePasta is, by far, my favorite carbohydrate. I love the flavor combinations in this dish and think it would be really good to serve at our next family dinner party.
ReplyDeleteWe just love pasta here in our house too and if you ever decide to try this dish, let me know if you liked it.
DeleteOh My Goodness, this looks amazing. This would be great to make with zucchini pasta!!
ReplyDeleteIt will taste great with any pasta to be honest with you. :)
DeleteLooks yummy! Thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Elena.
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