Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce
Did your tomatoes explode in the garden this year, or did a neighbor gift you with their surplus and you want to make sauce but you don’t want just any regular tomato sauce? Then you my friend need this fresh from the garden Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce in your life! I’m going to show you how to make this easy, fresh, and totally amazing sauce you will want to use on everything all the time!
Garden Fresh Sauce
When I worked on the farm, there were two huge greenhouses, and one of them was mostly for growing tomatoes. I learned a lot about growing them, and the many varieties that exist outside of what you see in a grocery store. When I was young, my Grandmother grew tomatoes in her home garden, and she taught me a lot about different ways to use them.
Now every year, I grow tomatoes and oregano in my own garden. I’m always looking for ways to not only use what I grow, but switch it up and make a sauce that is a departure from the usual. That’s how this recipe came about, and I am glad to share it with you here!
If you have visited the site before, you know I am passionate about dishes that utilize fresh produce.
I make this every Summer when my tomatoes are ripe and my oregano is taking over everything. This recipe is a nice use for both! If you need other ideas for using up an abundance of herbs or veggies, try this homemade soup or fresh oregano pesto. I have not had a successful crop of bell peppers yet (my PNW weather is too mild) but I keep trying!
This is one sauce I love using to add some zing to baked salmon with basil pesto butter. I love this on most any pasta (or as a pizza base) with a fresh panzanella or caprese with burrata!
Tomato and Pepper Sauce Secrets and Tips
Roasting tomatoes and peppers bring out lots of wonderful flavor! Don’t skip this step, it is so important! You’ll need a rimmed baking sheet and a blender to bring it all together at the end. This is so simple-
- Roast the veggies.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve your favorite way and enjoy!
Don’t forget to see the recipe card and recipe notes for all the details you’ll need to make this easy sauce.
Of course, you don’t have to use garden grown tomatoes if you don’t have any! You can use tomatoes from your grocery store or Farmers Market.
Just be sure to use fresh tomatoes and peppers, not canned. Use fresh oregano also, not dried! This recipe requires ingredients that are fresh in order to taste right!
Storing and Freezing
This sauce stores nicely in a container with a tight lid for up to a week. You can freeze it too! I would use it within a month if you decide to freeze any.
I hope you enjoyed this easy tomato and red pepper sauce! If you tried this recipe, be sure to leave a comment or rating! Want all the latest updates? Sign up for my newsletter! Happy Cooking!
Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce
This ridiculously good Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce is flavor packed and full of garden freshness. It is a great twist on the usual pasta sauce that you’ll want to make over and over again!
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 Cups 1x
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of Roma Tomatoes
3 large Red Bell Peppers
2 teaspoons of Salt
1 1/4 teaspoons of Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Oil
5 cloves of Garlic
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Oregano
Instructions
Heat your oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the tops off the one and a half pounds of Roma tomatoes and slice them in half lengthwise.
Cut the tops off the three red peppers and remove the seeds and stems and cut the peppers in half lengthwise.
Place the sliced tomatoes and the bell peppers on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle the tomato halves with the one tablespoon of oil. There is no need to put oil on the peppers.
While the veggies roast, peel the five garlic cloves and remove the leaves from the oregano stems (no need to chop the oregano as it will be going in the blender.
Roast for about 10 to 12 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven and turn the tomato and bell pepper halves over. Add the five cloves of garlic to the baking sheet. Let everything roast for another 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes have a bit of char and the skin is separating from the bell peppers.
Give the bell peppers a few minutes to cool, and remove the skin. Its ok if you can’t get every little bit of skin off. Don’t worry about removing the skin from the tomatoes.
Add the roasted peppers, tomatoes, the two teaspoons of salt, the one and one quarter teaspoons of pepper, the five cloves of garlic, and the one tablespoon of fresh oregano to a blender.
Process until smooth, and serve your favorite way!
Notes
If you prefer to add the garlic to the sauce raw and not add it to the sheet pan with the veggies, you can do that! It will make for a stronger garlic flavor.
You can freeze this sauce for up to a month, or it will keep refrigerated for a week.
When the sauce is finished in the blender, it is room temperature because the roasted tomatoes and peppers will have cooled down. The heat of cooked pasta should be enough to warm it up a bit.
If you want the sauce hot, you can put it in a saucepan and heat it on medium low heat until its at a low simmer, then toss it in your pasta.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Sauces and Condiments
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 cup
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 784.8 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.8 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
