Roasted Red Pepper Sauce | Nerd Meets Food

Lately I had been looking for a change from my usual tomato sauce. Nothing against tomatoes, but after years of the same pasta routine, I wanted something sweeter, less sharp, and a little creamier. The answer came from a few recipes I found online and a dish a dear friend cooked for me long ago. A little experimenting brought them together in this roasted red pepper sauce.

Bell peppers belong to the species Capsicum annuum, and their colors range from green to yellow, orange, and red. These are the sweet members of the pepper family. Peppers originated in the Americas and eventually traveled to kitchens around the world. For this sauce I like the fleshy, sweet red peppers, although yellow and orange peppers work beautifully too.

There are only a few ingredients here, so their quality matters. Let the peppers do most of the talking.

Here are the basic proportions for the sauce:

3 medium red bell peppers (yellow or orange also work)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper (Piper nigrum)
Pasta, for serving
Capers, for serving

Start by washing the peppers.

Take a paper towel and add some olive oil.

Coat the peppers thoroughly with the oil. This is not just about flavor: a thin coating helps the surfaces roast evenly as their moisture evaporates. The goal is blistered skin and sweet, tender flesh, not dried-out peppers.

Leave the garlic cloves in their skins and wrap them loosely in aluminum foil so they can roast alongside the peppers.

Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet with space between them. That lets steam escape instead of collecting around them. Keep the peppers whole; you will see why in a moment.

Roast at 450°F (230°C) until the skins are well blistered and charred in spots. That high heat brings the smoky flavor to the party.

While the peppers roast, trim the top and root end of the onion.

Cut the onion in half lengthwise.

Make vertical cuts through one half, stopping short of the root end so it holds the onion together.

Follow with horizontal cuts, again leaving the root end intact. Otherwise the whole thing will fall apart before you finish.

Now cut across those slices to dice the onion.

You should have roughly 2 cups of finely diced onion.

The peppers should be blackened in patches, with the flesh softened underneath. High heat blisters the skin before the peppers have time to dry out.

Transfer the hot peppers to a heatproof bowl.

Cover the bowl immediately with a plate. Trapped steam will loosen the skins and make peeling much easier.

Remove the garlic from the oven too. Once it is cool enough to handle, the skins should slip off easily.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add the diced onion and some freshly ground black pepper.

Season with salt and cover the pan. The salt helps draw out the onion’s moisture, while the lid keeps it from escaping too quickly. We want the onion to soften gently.

Add the red pepper flakes to taste.

Pierce the peppers over a bowl and save their juices. This is why I roast them whole: those juices belong in the sauce, not on the bottom of the oven.

Peel away the loosened skins. A few dark flecks can stay behind for a little smoky character; remove the loose, heavily charred skin.

Open the peppers and remove the stems and seeds.

Now take out Virginia, or whatever you call your blender.

Add the roasted peppers to the blender.

Follow with the softened onions and roasted garlic.

Pour in the pepper juices you saved.

Let’s review the options. Hmm… liquefy. I like that.

Watch the fun unfold, but do not overdo it. We want a smooth sauce with some body, not pepper juice.

Taste and adjust the salt. This is a base sauce, so leave yourself room to season whatever you serve it with.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.

Add salt and follow with the pasta.

Cook the pasta, then drain it and return it to the pot.

Add some sauce and toss briefly over heat. The starch on the pasta helps the sauce cling to it.

Mix until the pasta is coated evenly.

Finish with capers. They are optional, but I like their salty bite against the sweetness of the peppers, especially when I am skipping the cheese.

Enjoy with a chilled white wine.

And the remaining sauce? You did not think I used all three peppers for one plate of pasta, did you? This is the part where today’s dinner becomes a head start on the next one.

Cool the sauce promptly in shallow containers, then refrigerate it in a clean, covered container and use it within 3–4 days. Freeze portions for longer storage.