Restaurant quality at home with roasted red pepper sauce pizza, pasta

It’s good for our tastebuds if we mix things up every so often.

Try this roasted red pepper sauce on anything you would typically top with a tomato sauce for an instant, restaurant-worthy upgrade. It’s a unique flavor all on its own, and it will give new life to those dishes you’ve made dozens or even hundreds of times before.

It looks like tomato sauce, but the creamy, fiery flavor will surely make you a fan.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 16 oz. jar of roasted red peppers
• 2 tbsp water
• 2.5 tbsp butter
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• healthy dose of fresh cracked pepper
• 1/3 cup heavy cream (if using on pizza, use 1/4 or less)

Directions

1. Add peppers to blender along with 1-2 tbsp of extra liquid from the jar they came in. It’s a bit acidic, but can be a nice alternative to using too much salt. Add 1-2 tbsp of water (to help the blender get going), and puree for about 15 seconds, or until smooth.
2. Heat butter in skillet and add garlic. Sauté over medium heat 1-2 minutes, but don’t let it brown.
3. Pour peppers from blender into skillet and add basil, oregano, hot pepper flakes and pepper. Bring to a low boil the reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Turn down heat and add heavy cream. Stir thoroughly. Keep the temperature on low and allow the sauce to warm the whole way through now that the cream has been added.
5. Enjoy on pizzas, pastas or with a chunk of good Italian bread.

(Adapted from BudgetBytes)

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Pizza

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 8-inch pizza crusts
• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper sauce (see above)
• 1/2 small zucchini
• 4 large mushrooms, sliced
• 3 small sweet peppers, sliced in rings
• 3-4 oz. fresh mozzarella
• handful of basil, chopped
• fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• pinch finishing salt

Directions

1. Ladle 1/4 cup of sauce on to each pizza crust. Spoon until near edge.
2. Grate mozzarella over sauce. Top with basil, zucchini, mushrooms and peppers. Bake in oven at 400ºF for 18 minutes.
3. Remove pizzas from oven and sprinkle with fresh parmesan, a pinch of finishing salt and remaining basil.
4. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Tortellini

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted red pepper sauce (see above)
• 1 7-ounce package of tortellini
• handful of basil, chopped
• fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook tortellini according to package.
2. Warm sauce in small sauce pan. Add in tortellini when finished.
3. Plate pasta, sprinkle with parmesan and top with fresh basil.
4. Enjoy!

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