Last updated: September 2023

Rich in Vitamin C (amongst other benefits), this sauce is an easy favorite to toss with a simple pasta.

It doesn’t getter than pasta with a deliciously good sauce and this recipe makes that happen. A twist on a typical pesto, this roasted red bell pepper pesto sauce is FULL of flavor and mixes in so well with pasta. Best of all, my toddler gobbles this up! So good fresh, as leftovers, and perfect to freeze & use during busy weeks. If you’re looking for a nutritious pasta sauce, I’ve got you covered with this recipe!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

• Red bell peppers: for this recipe, I use 3 medium-sized peppers that are vibrant in color. At the grocery store, I typically look for the red peppers that are firm and heavy in size with a rich red color. I haven’t tried this recipe with other colored bell peppers - although they would work, I think a red bell pepper is your best bet here. Before mixing the sauce, we’ll roast the peppers to bring out some flavor that is key for this pesto!

• Basil: fresh basil is the way to go in this sauce, but dried basil can certainly work too. I recommend fresh because you’ll get the best flavor!

• Parmesan cheese: shredded parmesan cheese is what we’ll use here. Honestly, this ingredient can be optional BUT I think it gives a nice texture and flavor to the sauce!

• Lemon juice: this is key! The little amount of lemon juice in this recipe gives it a nice acidity and compliments the other flavors so well.

• Extra virgin olive oil: any standard extra virgin olive oil will work! I would not recommend substituting for other oils like canola oil.

• Garlic cloves: you can either use fresh garlic cloves to toss in OR buy pre-minced garlic cloves (I like to buy the little jar of pre-minced garlic from Trader Joe’s). If you don’t have either of these on-hand, garlic powder should work — I’d do about 1/4 tsp and add more to taste.

• Salt & pepper: I feel annoying when I say “to taste” but seriously this is a “salt and pepper to taste” recipe. I’d start with a pinch of each in the mixture and add more only as needed if you feel like it needs it.

ROASTING THE PEPPERS

• Preheat oven to 425F

• Wash & cut red bell peppers into 4-5 pieces each

• Toss with a dash of olive oil, salt, and pepper

• Roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through

• Let cool slightly before making sauce

MAKING THE SAUCE

• Add bell peppers + remaining ingredients to food processor or high-speed blender

• Puree the ingredients until the texture is smooth (once pureed, give it a taste to add your desired amount of salt and pepper)

• Add a few big spoonfuls to cooked pasta & enjoy a delicious meal! This also goes so well with grilled/rotisserie chicken, meatballs, and shrimp!

NOTES

• The sauce will last well for about 5-7 days in the fridge and freeze for up to 3 months.

• To thaw from freezer, place in fridge overnight or you can toss a frozen cube directly in a sauce pan on low heat until it de-freezes and warms up.

• When serving with pasta, pick a pasta that holds sauces well (like Fusilli, cavatappi, and rotini)

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