This roasted red pepper sauce is a luscious, sweet, savory, and a little smokey red pepper sauce that only takes about 20 minutes. It's the perfect red sauce to use is any pasta, pizza or as a dipping sauce.
If you're looking for more easy sauce recipes, you'll love my pomodoro sauce, classic arrabbiata sauce, or my honey garlic sauce.
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⭐️ Why this recipe works
- Enhanced Flavor Through Roasting: Roasting the red peppers and shallots deepens their flavors, bringing out a natural sweetness and complexity that forms the perfect foundation for the sauce.
- Balanced Acidity: The addition of balsamic vinegar not only introduces a slight tang but also balances the sweetness of the peppers and shallots, creating a harmonious flavor profile.
- Simple Ingredients, Rich Taste: The combination of simple, high-quality ingredients like fresh garlic, thyme, and a touch of brown sugar results in a sauce that’s rich and full of flavor, proving that great taste doesn't require complicated ingredients.
- Versatility: This sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes, from a simple pasta topping to a sophisticated condiment for grilled meats, making it a valuable addition to any kitchen.
🧾 Ingredients overview
- Red bell peppers: Provide a sweet, robust base for the sauce.
- Banana shallots: Offer a milder, sweeter alternative to regular onions.
- Garlic: Adds depth and aroma to the sauce.
- Brown sugar: Enhances the natural caramelization of the roasted vegetables.
- Balsamic vinegar: Introduces acidity and complexity.
- Thyme: Infuses the sauce with earthy, lemony undertones.
- Salt and black pepper: Season the sauce and balance the sweetness.
For precise measurements and additional ingredients, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
👩🏻🍳 Here's how to make it
Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Sauce recipe step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) to get it ready for roasting the vegetables.
- Arrange the red pepper chunks, sliced shallots, and garlic in a large roasting tray in a single layer to ensure they roast evenly.
- Sprinkle brown sugar and drizzle balsamic vinegar over the vegetables, then scatter thyme leaves on top. Season generously with salt and black pepper to enhance the flavors.
- Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until they begin to char slightly and the sugars start to caramelize, creating a rich base for the sauce.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables and all the pan juices to a blender and blend until the sauce is completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Optionally, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve for an ultra-smooth texture.
📖 Substitutions and variations
For a fresh take on this recipe, try these easy tweaks. They add new flavors and bringing variety without having to learn a whole new meal.
- Vinegar: Substitute balsamic vinegar with red wine vinegar for a different acidity profile.
- Sweetener: Use honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar for a different type of sweetness.
- Herbs: Replace thyme with basil or rosemary for a flavor twist.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing from a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, here are my top tips for recipe success.
- Char the peppers well: For a deeper, smokier flavor. This adds a complex undertone that enriches the overall taste of the sauce.
- Add vegetable stock: If you find the sauce too thick after blending, thin it out with a bit of water or vegetable stock. This adjustment helps achieve your desired consistency without diluting the flavor.
- Creamier Texture: To give the sauce a richer, creamier texture, stir in a splash of cream or a spoonful of coconut milk after blending. This modification is perfect for those who prefer a silkier sauce.
🍯 Storing and reheating leftovers
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a suitable container for up to a month.
- Reheat: Gently reheat on the stove or microwave, adding a little water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
❓Recipe FAQ's
Yes, add red chili flakes or a fresh chili during the roasting step.
Yes, all ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check the vinegar label to be sure it doesn’t contain any additives that contain gluten.
It’s excellent as a pasta sauce, a condiment for sandwiches, or a base for dressings.
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
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Quick and Easy Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 medium red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
- 4 small banana shallots, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 8 sprigs of thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
Prepare the Vegetables:
- In a large roasting tray, combine the red pepper chunks, sliced shallots, and garlic. Ensure the vegetables are spread out in a single layer for even roasting.
Season the Vegetables:
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and drizzle the balsamic vinegar evenly over the vegetables.
- Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and scatter them over the mixture. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Roast the Vegetables:
- Place the tray in the preheated oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes. The peppers should start to char slightly, and the sugars in the vinegar and brown sugar should begin to caramelize.
Blend the Sauce:
- Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices from the tray into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Strain (Optional):
- For an ultra-smooth texture, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
Notes
- Consistency Adjustment: If the sauce is too thick after blending, thin it out with a little water or additional balsamic vinegar to achieve your desired consistency.
- Storage Tips: This sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
- Serving Suggestions: This versatile sauce can be used as a pasta sauce, a topping for grilled meats, a unique pizza sauce, or as a dip for crusty bread.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs. Cordon Bleu trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes and step-by-step instructions along with tips and tricks that I've learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
cornelia says
It is a very good sauce...full of flavours,good on pizza,sandwiches,etc.I put it near fried polenta.I used red onion,instead of shallots,but it was ok.In my house,we used to ,,bake '' eggplants and red peppers on the gas cooker,on a iron plate...but,also,in the oven it is tasty...
Brent says
I'm one of those people who would rather see trees than paper. When I printed your little recipe it took 3 pages of paper which costs me money and impacts the environment. Most sites have changed this waste. I will soon try this recipe.
Debs says
Thanks so much for the comment Brent. I, too am a bit of a tree hugger, so your comment gave me a mild heart attack. When I hit the print recipe button on this little recipe page, I can assure you only one page was used. Not sure what you did there to get it to need three pages. Maybe you printed the whole post? Not sure. But the "print recipe" button works just fine and only uses one sheet of paper. Thanks so much. Happy cooking.
Karen Mahlke says
Debs, it's refreshing to have a totally 'professional' point of view. You're input regarding the specific reasoning for when and where to add spices was enlightening, and Ive been cooking for more years than I care to recount here.
Thanks for the great advice! Karen
Debs says
Thanks so much, Karen!!!! Your words have made my day! I so glad you found it helpful!
Marli says
Any chance you meant to say 3 CUPS of chopped red bell pepper? I did just the 3 bell peppers and am currently staring at not even a cup of puree.
Debs says
Hi Marli. For this recipe I used 3 bell peppers. But I realise that not all bell peppers are made equally and that I didn't account for the wildly varying sizes of peppers that people have access to. If the peppers you used were on the smaller side then, yes, it would totally make sense that you didn't end up with enough puree. I'll remake the recipe and measure out in cups how much it works out to and amend accordingly. Thanks for reminding me that, when cooking, specifics rule the day! Sorry this recipe didn't make as much as you were hoping for. I hope it made up for it in terms of flavour!
Janet Dyer says
You will get even more flavor from the thyme if you will simply place the sprigs of fresh thyme in the pan with the vegetables. After roasting (and before blending) simply use tongs to remove the stems. I find most of the leaves are already fallen from the stem, but you can easily rub them off into the mixture after they cool a few moments.
Debs says
That is true, Janet. But when you add thyme in that fashion (without it roasting) it tastes like you've just added a bunch of thyme, rather than having the thyme appear as a note in the whole dish. It's like adding salt at the end of cooking. The dish doesn't taste seasoned, it just tastes salty. In the case of this pepper sauce I didn't want to the thyme tasting to "green and grassy" as uncooked thyme often can. When thyme is cooked with a dish it pushes the other flavours to the front and encourages them to "be all they can be". But if you simply add thyme after the cooking process it always wants to fight for first place. Which in this case was not what I wanted. I've been so fortunate to work with some amazing chefs in my career and learned very early on that there has to be intention and a reason behind every decision in a recipe. That's what I love about cooking and recipes. Everything is adaptable to every style and taste.