Incredibly easy to make, this flavorful Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is great with pasta, gnocchi, and with chicken and veggies. It also works as a wonderful substitute for tomato sauce in all sorts of recipes. Enjoy the convenience of jarred roasted peppers or roast your own for a budget-friendly option. It’s naturally gluten-free, and I have two dairy-free options included below as well.
When I originally made this recipe back in 2014, it was creamy thanks to soft goat cheese. And while I absolutely love this version, I wanted to come up with a heavy cream version instead so it could appeal to everyone!
Watch How To Make Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
I think you’ll love this new version (no goat cheese involved!). I reinvented my original recipe and made it just like I do my tomato cream sauce. But if you love goat cheese, be sure to check out the recipe notes for the old version!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Roasted Red Peppers – I use jarred roasted red peppers most of the time because they’re so convenient. But I’ve included directions for roasting your own below.
- Onion & garlic Рsaut̩ed together make up the savory base of this sauce. I like to use fresh garlic, not jarred, for the best flavor.
- Heavy cream – look for heavy whipping cream with 36%-40% milk fat. Milk and half-and-half won’t work the same way in this sauce and don’t reduce down to the right consistency.
- Cream cheese – is optional, but we love the light tang it adds to this sauce. Taste the sauce before adding it and decide if you want more of a pure roasted pepper flavor. You’ll also find my original goat cheese option in the recipe notes if you’d prefer to use it instead of cream cheese.
- Fresh herbs – are optional but, of course, delicious. I use both parsley and basil in the summer when I have lots in the garden. Use what you have or omit them altogether.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Finely dice the onion. Use a garlic press to mince the garlic to speed up the prep time.
Step 2: Cook the onion and minced garlic together over medium-low heat until softened and turning translucent.
Step 3: Add the cream and roughly chopped peppers. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer until most of the liquid has been reduced.
Step 4: Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth (be careful—it’s very hot!).
Use the sauce right away as desired. If you want to add the optional cream cheese, return the sauce to the skillet over medium heat. Add the softened cream cheese in bits and stir, keeping it under a boil until it has melted into the sauce.
Ways to serve this
- Toss this sauce together with any pasta, along with a large handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a shower of chopped fresh herbs.
- This sauce is so versatile, try serving it with any pasta shape, including stuffed pasta like tortellini and ravioli. It’s also great with gnocchi. Add my Air Fryer Italian Sausage, browned bulk Italian sausage, or cooked diced chicken thighs to your choice of pasta for added protein.
- Add my Baked Turkey Meatballs to this sauce and toss with cooked spaghetti.
- Try it in place of pizza sauce for pizza, or use it in my Pizza Chicken. Think of it like a tomato-free alternative to marinara, but a creamy version.
FAQ’s
Broil the bell peppers on each side until the skin begins to deeply brown with blackened spots. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to an airtight container to cool for at least 20 minutes, which allows the skins to steam. Peel the skins off when the peppers are cool enough to handle. Then deseed and chop/use as desired.
Follow the recipe notes for the original sauce, using goat cheese, or cream cheese can also be used in that sauce. You don’t want to boil the sauce after the cheese is added because it will become grainy. You can also my my dairy-free cashew roasted red pepper sauce.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftover sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Make ahead –This sauce is great made ahead, then reheated to serve. Reserve any cheese you might add until you’re ready to serve the sauce.
- Reheating – gently reheat the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a simmer. It’s best not to boil the sauce hard if it already has cheese in it because it will change the texture.
- To freeze – freeze this sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using. If you freeze it in a plastic bag, place the bag in a container while it defrosts to catch any leaks.
Tips & Tricks
- Season the sauce to taste at the end of the cooking time. Jarred roasted red peppers vary in how salty they are, so your sauce will vary every time you use a different brand.
- Notes about the original recipe are included in the recipe card. I first made this with goat cheese, and while I still love that version so many people don’t like goat cheese. So the new version you see below is made with heavy cream and is tasty for all! But if you love goat cheese too, be sure to try that out.
- Add red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick. Or if you’re use this as a pasta sauce, try adding some spicy Italian sausage.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free & Paleo – you can swirl Kite Hill cream cheese into the finished sauce. Or you can make my Cashew Roasted Red Pepper Sauce instead.
More Sauce Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz jar roasted red peppers - drained and roughly chopped
- 1 small onion - finely diced, 8 ounces
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil - extra virgin
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp sea salt - add to taste, see notes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional:
- 4 ounces cream cheese - softened, or soft goat cheese
- chopped parsley or basil
- freshly grated parmesan
- 8-12 ounces pasta of choice - cooked al dente
INSTRUCTIONS
- Begin by prepping the ingredients. Then, preheat a large 10" skillet over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil to the pan with the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onion and garlic are softened and translucent, with minimal browning. Lower the heat if needed.
- Add the heavy cream and roughly chopped roasted red peppers. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook until almost all the liquid is gone.
- Carefully transfer the sauce to the blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, then serve as desired.
- To add the optional cream cheese/goat cheese to the sauce, you can blend it in the blender.
- Or if you're serving this sauce with pasta, I like to add the cheese in small bits and toss it with pasta and reserved cooking water as needed over medium heat until the cheese is completely incorporated.
- Serve the finished pasta with chopped fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2025 with new photos, more tips, a video, and new information.
Easy and delicious. The goat cheese is just right; it adds creaminess without overwhelming the taste of the peppers. Will make again.
So glad you enjoyed it, this sauce is one of my all-time favorites!
If you were to use jarred roasted red peppers how much would you add?
You need 2 roasted peppers, so from the jar I would go with around 3 since they tend to be smaller when jarred. The ones I get usually come mostly whole so it’s pretty easy to pull out a few. I hope this helps, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have any more questions!
Thank you for this recipe. It was delicious! It was so fast to make on a week night for the kids. I always appreciate fast, wholesome, and easy recipes that my kids will enjoy. And I found it easy enough to adjust based on what I didn’t have on hand at the time.
So glad to hear you’re enjoying it, and it’s always the best compliment to know it’s kid friendly! 🙂
This recipe is SOOOOOO good. I used it for part of my meal prep and couldn’t keep my family out of it. The sauce is so simple but so tasty. You could use it in all kinds of recipes. Eating it with the zoodles feels like you’re indulging in something unhealthy like a carb and fat loaded pasta, but you’re actually getting a ton of veggies, low carbs and low fat! Definitely not low on flavor! Will be making this again!
I’m so glad to hear that you and your family loved it, and you’re definitely right this sauce is so good on pretty much anything I’ve tried it on!