Fresh, creamy roasted red pepper sauce poured over al dente cheese-filled ravioli makes a restaurant-quality Italian dinner you can easily prepare at home.
We usually reach for jarred sauce and plain pasta for a quick weeknight meal, but this roasted red pepper sauce is worth the extra effort. It’s silky, rich, garlicky and bright with fresh basil—so good I wanted to drink it and also used bread to mop up every last drop.
Roasting the peppers takes a bit of time, but using your oven broiler is a fast, reliable technique. I used to grill peppers outside, which took forever. Moving the oven rack to the top position and broiling the peppers gives the same charred, smoky result much faster.
To roast: wash the peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Place the peppers cut-side down on a greased baking sheet and brush the skins lightly with olive oil. Broil on the top rack for 10–15 minutes until blackened and blistered. Stay close while broiling and consider cracking the oven door slightly to reduce the chance of oil splattering onto the heating element.
When blistered, transfer the peppers to a zip-top or paper bag and seal it. Let them steam for 5–10 minutes—this loosens the skin and makes peeling easy. Discard the skins, then slice or roughly chop the peppers for the sauce.
The sauce is made by sautéing onion, garlic and the roasted peppers, adding fresh basil, then blending until smooth. A cornstarch slurry with half-and-half creates a luscious, velvety texture; finishing the sauce with shredded Parmesan and butter gives it a creamy, savory depth. It’s an excellent way to introduce peppers to picky eaters—my daughter, who usually dislikes peppers, devoured her plate.
The final dish tastes like it came from a neighborhood Italian restaurant: rich, bright and comforting. Serve the sauce over cooked cheese ravioli and sprinkle extra Parmesan on top. Buon appetito!
Roasted Red Pepper Ravioli
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Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for broiling peppers
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups half & half
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan
- 2 Tbsp butter
- salt and pepper, to taste (about ½–1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper suggested)
- 24–48 oz frozen cheese ravioli, depending on how saucy you want the dish (1–2 bags)
Instructions
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Wash the red peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Place the peppers cut-side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush the outsides with a light coating of olive oil. Move an oven rack to the top position and broil for 10–15 minutes until the skins are black and blistered. Stay nearby while broiling to prevent oil from splattering onto the heating element.
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Transfer the blistered peppers to a zip-top or paper bag and seal. Let them steam for 5–10 minutes so the skins loosen. Peel and discard the skins, then roughly slice the peppers.
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In a large saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion, minced garlic and sliced peppers until the onion becomes translucent. Add chopped basil, then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the saucepan.
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Mix the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of the cold half & half to form a slurry. Pour the remaining half & half into the saucepan with the pureed peppers and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and whisk until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in shredded Parmesan and butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Cook the ravioli according to package instructions, drain, and serve topped with the roasted red pepper sauce and extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
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Recipe altered from Your Homebased Mom
