Name: Roasted red pepper pasta sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes, drained; 1 (12-ounce) Jarred roasted bell peppers, drained; 1 cup dry white wine; 3 large Shallots, chopped; 5 cloves of Garlic, grated; 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, optional but recommended; 1 teaspoon Celery seed; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste; Fresh cracked black pepper; 1 Turkish bay leaf; Parmesan rind

Roasted red peppers add oomph to a basic tomato sauce.

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I recently posted a puttanesca recipe and decided to make this red pepper pasta sauce since I've been learning how to make homemade pasta. More is more, right?

Ingredients

San Marzano whole tomatoes
Jarred roasted bell peppers
White wine
Shallots
Garlic
Tomato paste
Parmesan rind
Celery seed
Salt and pepper
Turkish bay leaf

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make red pepper pasta sauce

First, in a large dutch oven, sauté chopped shallots and garlic in fat like duck, pork, or tallow. You can use a mixture of olive oil and butter for a vegetarian red pepper pasta sauce.

Season the vegetables with a large pinch of salt, pepper, and celery seeds. Toss over medium heat until they are soft, translucent, and slightly golden around the edges.

Add a spoonful of tomato paste, cooking until the paste becomes a deep red.

Then, deglaze the pan with a dry white wine, scraping the pan to release any fond. Bring the wine to a simmer before continuing.

Once the wine starts to simmer, add in tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Using a handheld blender, pulverize just enough to break up the red peppers.

Next, add the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Place the lid on crooked to let some of the steam out while the red pepper pasta sauce reduces over a low simmer.

Hint: save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer!

Allow the sauce to reduce by almost half, about 30 minutes to one hour. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Optionally, you can add a ladle full of starchy pasta water to the sauce before serving.

Red pepper pasta sauce variations

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.

Equipment

Handheld blender

Dutch oven

Storage

Red pepper pasta sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for 3-months.

Top tip

Save the tomato juice to make tomato soup!

Why Turkish bay leaf?

If you're not purchasing Turkish bay leaves, you should be. Turkish bay leaves have a tea-like flavor that adds depth to a dish versus regular (California) bay leaves, which leave a strong menthol taste.

Craving more?

Check out these recipes.

Roasted red pepper pasta sauce

Yield: 8 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Easy red pepper pasta sauce uses Jarred roasted red peppers to add oomph to a basic can of San Marzano tomatoes.

Ingredients

2 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes, drained
1 (12-ounce) Jarred roasted bell peppers, drained
1 cup dry white wine
3 large Shallots, chopped
5 cloves of Garlic, grated
1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, optional but recommended
1 teaspoon Celery seed
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 Turkish bay leaf
Parmesan rind

Instructions

First, in a large dutch oven, sauté chopped shallots and garlic in fat like duck or pork. You can use a mixture of olive oil and butter for a vegetarian red pepper pasta sauce.
Season the vegetables with a large pinch of salt, pepper, and celery seeds. Toss over medium heat until they are soft, translucent, and slightly golden around the edges.
Add a spoonful of tomato paste, cooking until the paste becomes a deep red.
Then, deglaze the pan with a dry white wine, scraping the pan to release any fond. Bring the wine to a simmer before continuing.
Once the wine starts to simmer, add in tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Using a handheld blender, pulverize just enough to break up the red peppers.
Next, add the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Place the lid on crooked to let some of the steam out while the red pepper pasta sauce reduces over a low simmer.
Allow the sauce to reduce by almost half, about 30 minutes to one hour. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Season with additional salt and pepper.
Thin with tomato juice or starchy pasta water if desired

Notes

1. Keep leftover Parmesan rinds and tomato paste in the freezer

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or Calabrian chilis while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.

Red pepper pasta sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for 3-months.

Save the tomato juice to make tomato soup!

Salt content will vary based on Parmesan brand. Additionally, the rind may disintegrate completely. I used about 1 .5 teaspoons or so.

Why Turkish bay leaf?
If you're not purchasing Turkish bay leaves, you should be. Turkish bay leaves have a tea-like flavor that adds depth to a dish versus regular (California) bay leaves, which leave a strong menthol taste.

red pepper pasta sauce

Ingredients

How to make red pepper pasta sauce

Red pepper pasta sauce variations

Equipment

Storage