These days my head isn’t working. I bought 8 red bell peppers thinking that I had bookmarked a recipe from a sample book on an interesting family red pepper sauce for pasta (it wasn’t Italian, I think), I briefly read and remembered it was quite labour intensive, like it needs 2 days. But the fact I forgot to bookmark the recipe, I think it is lost.
What is your best recipe? I’ve made a lot of mixed tomato and pepper sauce, but never a smooth bell pepper sauce. Thanks in advance!
2 days for a red pepper sauce. . .wow, I’m curious what that was now too. What could you do with a bell pepper that could take 2 days? I guess maybe pickle it somehow?
Anyway - my two directions with bell peppers are either creamy sauce or a sauce with more texture. They are both very, very similar in prep.
For a creamy sauce, I usually just go with garlic/salt/pepper and an herb (basil or parsley typically). Once blended thin with cream and reheat. With the cream I don’t find I need to add very much oil or butter.
For a chunky sauce (it isn’t really chunky but more of a pesto texture) I do all the above but also add almonds, then just don’t add cream but I do add olive oil.
What style sauce were you going for (could be something totally different than these two, just saying for the record)? What type of pasta were you thinking? Was this going to be just a pasta with sauce dish, or was it going with something else (e.g. roasted meat/etc)? (I know, Americanized Italian question but hey, I am what I am).
Muhammara would be my choice, or its close cousin romesco (subbing the red bell for piquillos, which are harder to find by me, and way more expensive).
You can also make a batch of red pepper paste that’s common in turkish cuisine - and freeze it as a flavor enhancer to add to things later.
Among the Chowhound recipes is a pasta sauce featuring red bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. Using a mandoline, I shred the eggplant into long ribbons and the peppers and onions into thin rings. The eggplant gives the sauce a meaty texture which satisfies carnivores.
Truth be told, I enjoy red bells as crudite, with hummus, tzatziki, or ranch dressing.
If you have a Big Lots in your area they frequently have them for $3 a jar.
Thanks, will go down red pepper roast and blend route.
No particular style I’m after, just want smooth pepper sauce probably without cream, something I’ve bought but never make… Will use the sauce with mezzi bombardoni. Both of us are sickish, none of us wants to go out to shop with the rain, the cold and the crowd. We have some anchovies and mozzarella.
