This creamy roasted red pepper sauce also called Crema di Peperoni is made from scratch without any cream, no nuts and no tomatoes. An Italian classic sauce that is naturally dairy free and gets its delicious magic from the quality of the fresh peppers and the smooth smokiness from roasting them.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

A simple, easy and fabulously silky red pepper pasta sauce to save to your faves and keep on repeat all year long! I love it tossed with a wide noodle like pappardelle or tagliatelle but short pasta like lumache, Pricci or gnocchi is also nice. Traditionally this roasted pepper sauce is used to dress rigatoni Napolitani which is an extra large rigatoni, a hollow tube pasta with ridges that absorbs and holds lots of sauce. I say be a wild child like me and use it on pizza or toss it with wide noodles then top with Italian roasted tofu and basil.

About the Peppers

Fresh is Best. Start with fresh red bell peppers or a mixture of yellows oranges and reds for the best color. Avoid using any green peppers here because the color is not red (obviously) and they have some bitterness from not being fully ripe yet.
Roasting the peppers. This can be done under the broiler, on open flame or a hot cast iron plate/ skillet. Using the preferred method above roast the peppers for a few minutes on each side until charred and the skins are black. The more smoke you create the better the flavor will be.
Can I use jarred peppers? – You can certainly use jarred roasted peppers here but I would not unless it’s last minute and all I got. From scratch is so much better, you’ll end up with a heavenly smooth smokiness you simply can’t get from a jar. You’ll still make a delicious sauce in a pinch but If you plan the time to charr your peppers you’ll make a magic sauce. If going for the jarred kind add in a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for the smokiness.

Useful Chef’s Notes

The Aromatics – You want a nice base of flavor here which you’ll get from sautéing about 1/4 red onion or a couple of shallots and garlic cloves. I don’t want to taste them in the sauce so I am mindful of the quantities here, I only want them to support the flavor profile of the peppers and not to shine on their own. I hope that makes sense.
The Olive Oil – This is one recipe where I bring out my best bottle of cold pressed extra virgin since I am not heating it up. You don’t need much, 1/4 cup delivers a beautiful creamy emulsion, you can add more as desired but you don’t need to.
Vinegar – You’ll want a little bit of acid here to balance the savory flavor profile with red wine vinegar being my favorite. You can swap it for apple cider vinegar but cut back the amount by half since the flavor is much stronger and you can dd more as desired after tasting.
Almond Variation – To add more creaminess to your sauce you may add in about 1/3 cup of sliced almonds and blend until super smooth.
What to serve with – Use in pasta sprinkled with these crispy Italian breadcrumbs, slather on sandwiches, dip your falafel, drizzle your hummus, tacos and roasted tofu or make a fabulous lasagna.
Storage + Reheating – Any leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 5 days in a tight seal container and reheat well in a skillet on the stovetop or microwave oven.

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how to make roasted red pepper sauce

5 from 1 vote

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Crema di Peperoni)

This creamy Italian roasted red pepper sauce is made from scratch without any cream, no nuts and no tomatoes. A classic naturally dairy free sauce that gets its magic from the quality of the fresh peppers and the smokiness from roasting. You can certainly use jarred peppers here but from scratch is so much better with a heavenly smooth smokiness you just can’t get from a jar. A simple, easy and fabulous sauce to save to your faves and keep on repeat!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5

Cook Time:25

Total Time:30

Ingredients

4 red bell peppers (or a mixture or yellow, orange & red)
1/4 red onion sautéed (or 2 shallots)
2 garlic cloves sautéed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1.5 Tbsp red wine vinegar + more to taste
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes
basil onion chives and chili flakes for garnish.
3/4 lb pasta (I like wide noodles like pappardelle or tagliatelle or short pasta like lumache, Pricci or gnocchi)

Instructions

Roast the peppers. This can be done under the broiler, open flame or a hot cast iron plate/ skillet. Using the preferred method above roast the peppers for a few minutes on each side until charred and the skins are black. The more smoke you create the better the flavor will be.
4 red bell peppers
Once your peppers have been charred on all sides carefully transfer them to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil until cool enough to handle.
Once cool enough to handle peel the peppers and discard the peels and core with the seeds. Transfer cleaned peppers to a powerful blender or food processor.
Meanwhile preheat a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion or shallots in a light drizzle of olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic and chili flakes and sauté until you can smell the garlic taking care not to burn it. Remove from heat and transfer to the blender with the peppers.
1/4 red onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Add the olive oil, vinegar and salt and process until silky smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings with more salt, vinegar and chili flakes to taste.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1.5 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp sea salt
Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Toss with the pepper sauce until coated well and serve garnished with fresh basil, chopped onion chives and red chili flakes.
3/4 lb pasta, basil

Video

Notes

Roasting the peppers. This can be done under the broiler, open flame or a hot cast iron plate/ skillet. Using the preferred method above roast the peppers for a few minutes on each side until charred and the skins are black. The more smoke you create the better the flavor will be.
Can I use jarred peppers? - You can certainly use jarred peppers here but I would not unless it's last minute and all I got. From scratch is so much better, you'll end up with a heavenly smooth smokiness you simply can’t get from a jar. You'll still make a delicious sauce in a pinch but If you plan the time to charr your peppers you'll make a magic sauce.
Almond Variation - To add more creaminess to your sauce you may add in about 1/3 cup of sliced almonds and blend until super smooth.

Nutrition

Course: Pasta, Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: crema di peperoni, roasted red pepper sauce

Servings: people

Calories: 472kcal

Author: Florentina

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe