Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce with Italian spices and fresh basil. This sauce is easy to make and full of flavor and oil-free!
I love home cooked sauces, dips, pestos and soups. You just can’t orchestrate that home cooked flavor without, well….making it homemade. I wanted to make another dish screaming with flavor that you don’t miss the meat in. So yesterday morning I made the sauce and kept it in the fridge until dinner time. Doing this really lets the flavors marry and bring out more flavor the longer they sit. I like to use fresh herbs in these types of dishes, so basil it was.
The vegetables before going into the oven. Season generously with salt and pepper.
I put the onions in a separate pan. Season the same way as the other vegetables.
This is how the tomatoes should look after roasting…bursting with juice and flavor…yum!
After all the vegetables (bell pepper, onions, tomatoes and garlic) have roasted, add them with all the spices into a food processor and pulse for several minutes until completely smooth. This is how it will look. If you can, make this in the morning and store it in the fridge until dinner time and then just reheat over the stove on simmer and cook the pasta, zucchini, breadsticks and dinner is served!
This should make enough for leftovers, depending on how much pasta you use.
I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this amazing Vegan Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce! The fresh basil and roasted veggies really drives home exceptional flavor. Leave me feedback below and star rate the recipe. I love hearing from you all!
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 10.5 oz carton of organic grape tomatoes or about 2 cups
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 3-4 large garlic cloves
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves or a good handful, adjust to your taste, do not omit, it really completes the sauce!
- salt and pepper
- 8 oz of gluten-free brown rice pasta
Instructions
- I suggest making the red pepper sauce in the morning (or the day before) to let it sit in the fridge until dinner time. This will ensure a deeper flavor for the herbs to marry together. To make the sauce, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or foil sprayed with nonstick spray. Put the tomatoes, sliced bell pepper and garlic cloves with skin intact (do not peel them!) on the sheet. Season generously with sea salt and pepper. Put the onions in a separate pan so all the vegetables are not overcrowded, season the same way and cover loosely with foil so the onions don't burn. Roast the tomatoes, garlic and bell pepper for 15 minutes at 400 degrees and the onions for about 20 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are done, put them, with all the pan juices, into a food processor (after removing the skins off the garlic cloves) with all of the remaining ingredients. Pulse until completely smooth, a few minutes. Taste and add any additional salt if desired. If making in the morning, store in the fridge until dinner.
- At dinner, I chose to serve my pasta with zucchini, but choose whatever you like. I sliced 2 large zucchini into half moon shapes and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Spread out on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, not foil. Bake at 415 degrees for 15-20 minutes and then broil for the last few minutes, until the tops are golden. While the zucchini is cooking, prepare the pasta. Make sure to season the pasta water well with salt and drizzle some olive oil in there as well, helps the pasta to not stick later.
- For the breadsticks, I just sliced a couple pieces of Ezekiel bread into breadstick shapes. Season with salt, garlic powder and oregano. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Reheat the red pepper sauce over simmer for a few minutes. Put everything into a large bowl and toss with the sauce. Add any more salt if desired. Garnish with fresh basil.
Brandi, I just have to add that this sauce has become my go to base sauce. Do I want something with a little TexMex flair? Easy, I just change up the spices with more chili powder and some roasted Pablano mixed in (really good btw over roasted portabello mushrooms with some Spanish rice and baked tortilla chips). Do I want it more on the Italian side? Sure! Just omit the chili powder and add in some cheap white wine (really, really good BTW because you get to drink the rest of the bottle). So my point? I never was strong or confident in the sauce area, until now. So thanks!
I needed a quick meal – something with no beans or potatoes the other night and this recipe was suggested. Holy smokes it is so quick and delicious. I already had roasted peppers in my freezer so this took about as long as the time for the noodles to cook. I served it to my hubby and he really loved the smoky flavor paired with the basil. I even threw in a little raw tomato and could see how adding some roasted broccoli or another veggie would work great. This sauce could be a great topping to lots of things! Thanks Brandi.
I’m so happy you and your hubby loved this Estee! Thank you so much for making it! It is great on so many things, you are so right. It’s really good on potatoes too!
how long do you think this sauce can stay refrigerated before it spoils?
Hi Adrea! I would say at least 3 days, maybe even up to 5. For me, most food I make, I eat within 3 to 4 days.
I made the sauce over the weekend… so EASY and delicious! I served it with spaguetti squash and shrim… it was amazing!
Wonderful Karol! Thank you so much for letting me know…I love feedback! So glad you enjoyed it and the spaghetti squash sounds amazing…I still haven’t tried that 🙂