Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Have you ever gone to the store and bought something that you completely forgot you purchased last time you went? I must have done that a couple of times this week because I found 10 red bell peppers in the fridge when putting away yesterday’s groceries. What to do with all of those peppers before they go bad?
I put 4 aside to make stuffed peppers (one of my husband’s favorites) and used the remaining 6 to make a roasted red pepper sauce. This is kind of my take on a romesco sauce with roasted peppers, garlic, whatever nut I have on hand (usually either almonds, walnuts, or cashews), olive oil, and lemon juice. Sometimes I add a touch of cayenne for a kick or some herbs for freshness.
I alternate making this with jarred roasted peppers and roasting my own. Since I have so many peppers, today I’m making my own.

I cut the peppers in half, placed them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, and roasted them for about 35 – 40 minutes at 450 to get that nice browning.
Add to a blender or food processor with garlic, nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, and a bit of salt. Blend until smooth.
Slather this sauce on sandwiches, serve with eggs, drizzle over roasted or sauteed chicken and vegetables, use as a pizza sauce, eat it straight from a spoon (go ahead, absolutely no judgment!), add extra pepper flavor to stuffed peppers, use as a dip for chips or raw veggies … enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 roasted red peppers
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup nuts (I used whole, raw almonds. Feel free to substitute walnuts or cashews, both of which also taste delicious here. Adjust the amount down a bit for using chopped nuts.)
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced (My lemon produced approximately 4 tbsps of juice.)
Instructions
- Add everything into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- If you prefer a runnier sauce, add a tablespoon of water or olive oil at a time until you get to your desired consistency.
Notes
- For a kick, add some cayenne. Start with about a quarter of a teaspoon and add until you reach your desired spicyness level.
- To give it some additional freshness, add in about a quarter cup or so of fresh herbs – I like adding mostly fresh parsley with a few chives.