By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(138)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The flavor in this sauce is deepened by peppers, which are first grilled or roasted, then cooked in olive oil with onion, garlic and chili flakes.
Featured in: Summer Vegetable Sauces
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Ingredients
Yield:About two cups
- 2 to 2¼pounds 4 large or 6 medium red peppers, roasted or grilled
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- 2large garlic cloves, minced
- Salt to taste
- 1fresh basil sprig
- ¼teaspoon red chili flakes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
150 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 647 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Step
1
Peel and seed the roasted or grilled peppers, then dice. Strain any juice left over in the bowl after peeling and seeding, and set aside.
Step
2
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or wide saucepan. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until mixture is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the peppers, salt, basil sprig and chili flakes. Pour in the juice that you set aside, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until the peppers are very tender and the mixture is thick and soft. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, uncover and turn up the heat. Cook until most of the liquid boils off. Remove the basil sprig, adjust seasonings and remove from the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tip
- Advance preparation: This will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks if you pour a film of olive oil over the top.
Ratings
4
out of 5
138
user ratings
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Chris
Unless vegetarianism is a goal, you can sneak in an anchovy or two while sautéing the onion. They dissolve away and don't leave any fishy taste or smell (unless you use too much). Best of all, the flavor profile goes to 11!
Mark Hindal
Added both capers and anchovies, following other readers' advice. Served over black bean pasta.
Clare Barrowman
This is a great condiment! It goes so well with everything. I like to add a little balsamic. Just a splash rounds it out really nicely.
Mimi
Keep an eye on this as it simmers. I zip it through the blender and use it as pasta sauce.
jb
Caramelized the onions before adding the rest of the ingredients. Added a little tomato paste and sauce bc my roasted peppers were not very juicy - it was amazing on crostini.
Beth
I used a couple of jalapeños with green bell peppers because that's what I had in the garden. It has a little kick, which is a good thing in our house! Excellent sauce --great with chicken, wonderful with quesadillas, and on bruschetta.
ranu
Adding some cherry tomatoes with the onions or anchovies and letting them stew down and sweeten is a nice touch for this recipe, and helps add volume if you don’t have enough peppers. Delicious and easy for an appetizer with toasted bread.
Aari
Is it anathema for me to ask about doing this with jarred roasted peppers?
Jessica
Made this because I had peppers that were going to go bad. Didn’t have anything fancy to put it on, so I just spread cream cheese on whole wheat toast and spooned the sauce on top. It was amazing!
Sooz
I can't eat tomatoes, and this makes a great "salsa" for quesadillas. Add cumin instead of basil if you like. I used jarred red peppers, as I didn't have fresh on hand. I imagine using fresh would up the wow factor, but the jarred was spectacular. If you let it cook down, it becomes very jammy and scrumptious!
steve
For a smoother sauce, I went straight to blender with peppers, then sautéed ingredients, and puréed. Simmered per recipe. Worked well.
Cristina A
Made it on the weekend to take to a mid-week potluck with some sliced crusty bread. Excellent!
Mimi
Keep an eye on this as it simmers. I zip it through the blender and use it as pasta sauce.
Karen
Just ok, which was my fault. I had fresh rosemary which I used instead of basil. Came out too sharp. Needs the sweetness of the basil for balance. I added some prawns, which was a nice addition for protein.
jb
Caramelized the onions before adding the rest of the ingredients. Added a little tomato paste and sauce bc my roasted peppers were not very juicy - it was amazing on crostini.
Clare Barrowman
This is a great condiment! It goes so well with everything. I like to add a little balsamic. Just a splash rounds it out really nicely.
Sandy
I roasted mini red, orange and yellow bell peppers and kept the chard skin on. They have very few seeds so no need to remove them. Added a little more garlic and more basil. Was delicious!
Karen
This was very good. As others have noted, it takes longer than 15 minutes. I also added some anchovy paste.
ranu
Adding some cherry tomatoes with the onions or anchovies and letting them stew down and sweeten is a nice touch for this recipe, and helps add volume if you don’t have enough peppers. Delicious and easy for an appetizer with toasted bread.
Mark Hindal
Added both capers and anchovies, following other readers' advice. Served over black bean pasta.
Chris
Unless vegetarianism is a goal, you can sneak in an anchovy or two while sautéing the onion. They dissolve away and don't leave any fishy taste or smell (unless you use too much). Best of all, the flavor profile goes to 11!
Iris Brest
It took quite a bit longer to cook than the recipe suggests, but was delicious.
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