Roasted red pepper and tomato pasta sauce

I feel very “cheffy” when I make my own sauces, whether it’s pesto or hummus or even something like this. I love combining flavours and whizzing them up to create a real burst of flavour that’s full of colour and nutrition. I actually love jarred sauces, they’re such a convenient option mid-week, but when I was spending some time in the kitchen one Sunday, it was the perfect opportunity to have a go at this recipe.

Peppers and tomatoes are a classic combination and with a dish like this, where the ingredients are front and centre, it really helps to get quality produce. I paid a little extra to get sweet red peppers instead of bell, and I also bought a pack of seasonal British tomatoes. There’s a reason top chefs bang on about seasonal ingredients; they taste good. This is a summer dish, so enjoy it whilst the sun is shining.

Roasted red pepper and tomato pasta sauce

Makes 1 jar (this served the two of us for dinner)

To a small roasting tin, add two sweet pointed peppers that have been topped, tailed, de-seeded and cut into large chunks. Quarter the tomatoes and add to the pan.

Peel and roughly chop 2 – 3 garlic cloves (to taste) and sprinkle over basil stems. I used the basil stems that were leftover from making pesto with the leaves, but you could add a few leave if you had some going, or just sprinkle over 1/2tsp dried basil.

Drizzle over a generous amount of rapeseed oil and roast in the oven at 170C fan for thirty minutes, checking after twenty to stir. Allow to cool down slightly.

Add the roasted veg and all of the pan juices to a blender. Add a splash of water, just enough to help the blades along, and whizz. Pour into a jar, leave to cool, then refrigerate.

I’m not sure how long this sauce would last in its jar in the fridge. We ate it the day after I made it, with brown rice penne and Heck chicken sausages. I’m sure it would last two to three days, but I haven’t checked this personally. You’ll notice I didn’t season with salt and pepper during the roasting process, which was deliberate. This way, I could taste test when my actual dinner was cooking, so I could control and balance out the taste with the other components of the dish.

I was really surprised about how easy it was to make a truly flavourful pasta sauce from scratch. There wasn’t a lot of labour involved and it was great knowing exactly went into my sauce. This is definitely an avenue I want to explore more in the future, making my own sauces more often. I hope you enjoy the recipe, do let me know if you make it. What would you serve it with? Tell me your ideas over on Instagram or in the comments section below.