This versatile sauce gives a burst of flavor, color, and nutrients to a bowl of pasta. In my household, spring sports are now in full swing, and it is a valiant struggle to create quick, healthy dinners to squeeze in between school, work, homework, and soccer and track practices. I know we all function so much better when we are well-nourished, so to me, it is a worthy struggle to find ways to put quick, healthy meals on the table. This sauce is great, because it can be made ahead of time if that works best, and then warmed up, and it even tastes good at room temperature.
The pureed almonds give the sauce a creamy texture, and the tangy balsamic vinegar brings out the flavors of the red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. I bought a couple jars of organic roasted red peppers from the grocery store, but if you have time, you can certainly roast your own. The recipe below is based on one I found in my Family Circle: New Tastes for New Times Cookbook. As I have used this recipe over the years, it has evolved a bit, and I like to add fresh herbs (straight from my own garden when I can) and sun-dried tomatoes to the original recipe for extra flavor. Just make the sauce, cook some pasta, throw together a green salad, and you have a healthy, light meal. Perfect for people on the go.
In these busy times, it can be hard to make the time to take some deep breaths and notice the spring blooming all around us. The frogs continue to sing at night, the daffodils are now in full bloom, such a pure, bright yellow, and the bare trees have tiny little buds on them. We now have a refugee pigeon sleeping on our roof at night. From what I can tell from talking to the Department of Natural Resources, it seems to be a racing pigeon taking a break from its course. I am beginning to wonder if it is retiring from racing though, because it has been sleeping on our roof for about 3 weeks. I am beginning to like this pretty, white pigeon, though I wonder where it came from. But if it wants to take a break on our roof for awhile, it is fine with me. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 
Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 2 cups (about 14 ounces) of roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup of vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs (such as oregano, parsley, thyme, or basil)
- 2-3 tablespoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 12 ounces of pasta
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until just golden, about 2 minutes. Add the slivered almonds and cook about 2 minutes more, till the almonds are just golden. Transfer the garlic and almonds to a blender or food processor and add the peppers, broth, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, sugar, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes to the blender/food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour into a large serving bowl. Drain the cooked pasta and place it into individual bowls. Spoon the desired amount of sauce on the bowls of pasta. Serve with a green salad, if desired. Enjoy!
This recipe is adapted from the Family Circle: New Tastes for New Times Cookbook
That sauce looks fantastic, I bet it tastes even better! 🙂
Thank you Lily, it is really delicious!
Pigeon picture? 🙂 This looks yummy!
Thanks, Karen! I have been trying to get a good pigeon picture, but he/she is very hard to photograph! I will post one when I get a good one.
Jenny, I love that you made your own sauce here. I love red peppers. I really feel like they’re underutilized and this is a wonderful way to showcase the flavors.
Thanks, Amanda! I love red peppers too, and this sauce is a nice break from tomato sauce (which I also love, but tend to over-use). I especially like the almonds pureed in the sauce.
Pinned for later, Jenny. Looks great!
Thanks, Debbie. I hope you enjoy it!