Roasted red-pepper sauce

1
Points® value
Total Time
23 min
Prep
6 min
Cook
17 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
To achieve the most intense flavor, we roast sweet bell peppers, then puree them with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and sherry-wine vinegar. This sauce is so versatile it woks in summer and winter so feel free to use fresh basil in the summer. Substitute 1 tablespoon chopped fresh for the dried. The result of roasting the peppers is a highly flavorful sauce that can accompany everything from pasta and baked potatoes to roasted vegetables, poultry, or fish. You might like to make a double batch and refrigerate half for up to 1 week to use as a dip for crudités.

Ingredients

Red bell pepper

3 large

Olive oil

1 Tbsp, extra-virgin

Garlic

3 clove(s), minced

Dried basil

½ tsp

Sherry vinegar

2 tsp

Table salt

½ tsp

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground

Instructions

  1. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the bell peppers on it. Broil 5 inches from the heat, turning frequently with tongs, until the skins blister, about 15 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a counter and wrap in the foil. Let steam for about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel them, discard the seeds, and place the peppers in a blender or food processor.
  2. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, 1–2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Transfer the mixture to the blender with the bell peppers. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper; process until smooth. Yields 1/4 cup per serving.