4 Ways to Roast Peppers

Almost as easy as making pesto, roasted pepper sauce can be made a million ways, just to your liking.

You can go all sweet peppers, or throw in a few roasted hot peppers.
You can make a blend of roasted tomatoes, sweet peppers, and roasted garlic!
It is lovely with cream added or not!
Roast everything for your pepper sauce on a sheet pan at the same time and then dump it all in the food processor!
Squirrel it away in the freezer to remind you of summer yums later. 🐿

Below is a Sweet Pepper Recipe and a Hot Pepper Recipe

Oven Roasted Tomato & Pepper Sauce

From Terrafirma Farm

This is a sheet-pan and blender recipe that makes a thick, flavorful sauce that can be used to top pasta or for dipping. No peeling is required for the tomatoes or peppers; just the garlic.

Heat the oven to 350.

Brush a baking sheet or large cast iron skillet liberally with 1 T. olive oil mixed with 1/2 t. salt.

Cut 2 lbs. of tomatoes in half (removing the cores first) and then place cut-side down on the baking sheet.

Core 1 lb. sweet peppers, remove the seeds, and cut in halves or quarters. Arrange around the tomatoes, cut side up.

Arrange 6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled, around the pan.

Sprinkle everything with more salt and drizzle with additional olive oil.

Roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes, until they are soft and beginning to brown but are not blackened. Don’t let the juice the tomatoes release cook off completely — it will burn and be hard to clean. You’ll also lose some of the best flavor.

When the vegetables have cooled, peel the garlic cloves and transfer everything to a food processor or blender. Add your favorite herbs plus salt and black pepper (or hot pepper) to taste.

Roasted Red Pepper Hot Sauce

From Red Fire Farm CSA

A great way to preserve hot peppers and enjoy them little bit by little bit.

olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
6 whole chiles any kind, stems removed
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt, or to taste

The types of chiles you use will affect the flavor and heat of the sauce. Choose any kind you like or use whatever you have. Roast the whole chiles, coated with olive oil, on a grill or under the broiler (or in a pan on the stovetop). Roast until the skins get browned and blackened in spots – gives good flavor.

Meanwhile, saute onions, carrots, garlic in a pan with a little olive oil until translucent. Once done, let the saute and the roasted peppers cool. Then put saute and peppers in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth, adding vinegar until you get to the right consistentcy for you. Add salt to taste.

Pour finished sauce into a clean jar. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Makes about 4 cups.

4 Ways to Roast Red Peppers:

Four Easy Methods for Roasting and Charring Bell Peppers

There are four methods for roasting peppers at home: in the oven, under the broiler, on a stovetop, or on the grill. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, so I encourage you to use the method that works best for you!

After selecting your perfect method for roasting red bell peppers, you will need to steam them to remove and discard the skin, membrane and seeds. (Scroll down to read about the steaming process.)

Oven Roasting Peppers

Oven roasting is the perfect method if you are roasting several peppers at once. You can easily roast 6-10 peppers (depending upon their size) in the oven!

Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
Arrange peppers: Lay the peppers on their sides, with the stem parallel to the baking sheet.
Roast: Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the peppers for 15 minutes.
Rotate and roast: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use tongs to turn the peppers to the other side. Return to the oven and continue to roast for an additional 12-15 minutes.
Check peppers: Remove the pan from the oven and check to see if the peppers are done roasting – the skin should look soft and slightly charred, and the peppers should appear slightly collapsed. If they don’t look fully roasted, return them to the oven and let them roast for a few more minutes.
Steam: See below for steaming the peppers after they are fully roasted.

Broiling Peppers

Broiling is a great if you are looking for a fast method for roasting peppers indoors. You can easily broil 6-10 peppers (depending upon their size) in the oven! However, you will need to watch the peppers very closely and turn the peppers frequently during broiling!

Arrange oven rack: Arrange the oven rack to the upper third position – you want the top of the peppers to be about 8-9 inches away from the broiling element.
Preheat broiler and prepare baking sheet: Preheat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up and spray the foil lightly with oil.
Arrange peppers: Lay the peppers on their sides, with the stem parallel to the baking sheet.
Broil and rotate: Roast the peppers for a total of 15-20 minutes, using tongs to rotate the peppers a quarter of a turn every 4-5 minutes or as necessary.
Check peppers: Remove the pan from the oven and check to see if the peppers are done roasting – the skin should look soft with quite a bit of char all over, and the peppers should appear slightly collapsed. If they don’t look fully roasted, return them to the oven and let them broil for a few more minutes.
Steam: See below for steaming the peppers after they are fully roasted.

Cooking Peppers on the Stove

You can cook peppers on the stove top using the direct gas flame or a grill pan. Direct roasting over a gas flame is personally my favorite method during the colder months. I find that this method gives the bell peppers a superior smoky flavor. However, each pepper needs to be charred individually, so this method is best if you are only trying to roast one to two bell peppers. If you are trying to roast a bunch of bell peppers, you may want to select a different method!

Direct gas flame

Turn the heat to medium-high: Turn your gas burner to medium-high.
Add the pepper: Place the red bell pepper on the grate, directly over the flame.
Roast and rotate: Roast the pepper for a total of 12-16 minutes, using tongs to rotate the pepper a quarter of a turn every 2-3 minutes.
Check the pepper: The pepper should be very soft, and the skin should appear well-charred. If the pepper is still firm, continue to roast, rotating the pepper as needed.
Steam: See below for steaming the peppers after they are fully roasted.

Grill pan

Prepare grill pan: Prepare your grill pan according to instructions – mine calls for lightly oiling the grates.
Preheat grill pan: Place the grill pan on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium-high.
Roast and rotate: Roast the pepper for a total of 12-16 minutes, using tongs to rotate the pepper a quarter of a turn every 2-3 minutes.
Check the pepper: The pepper should be very soft, and the skin should appear well-charred. If the pepper is still firm, continue to roast, rotating the pepper as necessary.
Steam: See below for steaming the peppers after they are fully roasted.

Grilling Red Peppers

Grilling is my favorite way to roast peppers during the spring and summer months. It’s the perfect way to take advantage of the beautiful weather and grilling gives the peppers a deliciously smoky flavor! This method is great if you are trying to roast up to 6 peppers. If you try to add too many peppers to the grill you will end up steaming them instead of charring!

Steaming and Peeling your Peppers

Add peppers to bowl: After your bell peppers are completely roasted, place them inside a large bowl.
Cover to steam: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid.
Steam: Set the peppers off to the side and let them steam at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
Peel: After steaming for 15-20 minutes, the peppers should be cool enough to handle. Transfer the peppers to a clean work surface and use your hands to peel away and discard the skin. Expert tip: Avoid cleaning your peppers under running water or you will remove a lot of their delicious flavor in the process!
Deseed and chop: Once you have all skin from the peppers removed, use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the peppers in half vertically, from top to bottom. Remove the stems and seeds, discarding both. Chop the roasted red bell peppers according to the recipe instructions.

Storing your homemade roasted red peppers

If you are looking to save time while preparing red pepper pasta sauce, you can roast your bell peppers in advance and store them in the refrigerator or freezer!

Pepper Sauce Recipes +