Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Sauce

Roasted red pepper pizza sauce is a quick and easy recipe for any weeknight or weekend meal and, of course, makes for awesome homemade pizza.

this recipe

Friends. Never again will I buy a jar of pizza sauce.

Well... it'd have to be a pretty convincing jar of pizza sauce. It would have to say... "Hey, I taste exactly like homemade pizza sauce." If I stumble upon a jar of pizza sauce that literally says that... I'll give it a try and let you know. Okay, I kid -- requiring a jar of pizza sauce to talk is completely unreasonable, and I'd settle for something all natural and clean that pretty much does taste like homemade pizza sauce, in a pinch. BUT. In the meantime... homemade pizza sauce is my new love. And it's so SO easy that I really just want to make it homemade every time... and I think you might, too.

For starters, am I wrong when I say there's just something so comforting about a warm, tomato-based sauce with all of those classic Italian flavors just simmering in a pot on your stove, making your kitchen smell like heaven? No, I'm not wrong. It's not even a question. And on those wintery nights when you get home from school or work and all you really want is something warm and delicious and comforting... and probably Italian? This. This this thiiissss.

I do think it's partly a comfort thing for me because it reminds me of nights growing up when my mom would make spaghetti or lasagna, or just something along those lines. We never really made homemade pizza, though, so it wasn't until I recently went out for pizza with a friend that I seriously considered having a go-to pizza sauce recipe up my sleeve. You guys, I have been missing. out. And I don't want you to miss out anymore, so we're going to talk roasted red pepper pizza sauce.

Where do I even begin?

Probably with how easy it is. Or the fact that roasted red peppers add amazing flavor to everything. Or that -- well, here.

Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Sauce

Here's everything I think you'll love about this recipe and that'll keep you making it again and again:

1. Easy. For how delicious it is? It's so, so easy to make. All you need is a handful of basic kitchen ingredients like fresh garlic and onions, some spices (I used oregano), and extra virgin olive oil. Then canned fire-roasted (or non-roasted, either will work) tomatoes, jarred roasted red peppers, and tomato paste. Basically you just have to open a few cans, do some minor chopping, simmer, and blend... and all it takes is about 20 minutes. I can get on board with that.
2. Meal Prep Friendly. Do you meal prep or have you been meaning to try it out more? I definitely do every week -- just the basic stuff like chopping veggies, and cooking grains and meat so I can have it at the ready. Anyway, preparing sauces in advance is one of the best ways to be prepared for a few weeknight meals... such as homemade pizza! Or whatever else you could be roasted red pepper pizza sauce on. Pretty much anything. You can't go wrong. And this will yield about two jars worth... so you should be all set.
3. Winter Proof. Tomatoes in winter are sad. They aren't rich in color or flavor, and they are transported for miles over days and days, and overall they're just a shadow of what we get to experience in summer. Solution: don't tolerate those tomatoes. (I mean, unless you really have to, because sometimes you do need sliced tomatoes for sandwiches, etc.). But in winter, when making chilis, soups, and sauces, I always stick with canned for the best flavor. Same goes for the peppers -- you can buy jarred roasted red peppers, and they're super tasty and flavorful. So basically... this roasted red pepper pizza sauce recipe can be made entirely out of kitchen staples. Ummm hi, sign me up.
4. Versatile. Tomato-based sauces -- including roasted red pepper pizza sauce -- go with everything. Meat, cheese, veggies, whole wheat pasta, bread... all of it. This is good news for you because you can put pretty much any combination of ingredients in a skillet, sauté it with something akin to marinara sauce, and it will just be a huge bowl of goodness. Probably topped with cheese. And you will be a very happy person.
5. Pizza. Can we just agree that anything that leads to pizza is a good thing?

So that, in a nutshell, is roasted red pepper pizza sauce. I've already made a few things with it -- pizza (recipe coming to you shortly ;)), and also put it on sautéed zucchini. I also ate a lot of it plain... no shame.

Let me know what you make with yours! Take a picture and share it with me on Instagram #rootsnradishes.

Last but not least, HAPPY FRIDAY.

^^^P.S. Impromptu photography tip: when you have no idea how to photograph something, make a mess. Wait, pour some out for your homies? Yeah... don't know where I was going with that.

Roasted red pepper pizza sauce, let's go.

Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Sauce

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Roasted red pepper pizza sauce is a quick and easy recipe for any weeknight or weekend meal and, of course, makes for awesome homemade pizza. Can be made with fresh ingredients or pantry staples.

• Author: Tera
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: ~3.5 cups
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

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• a few tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 6 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers
• 1 14-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes*
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
• ½ tsp salt (more to taste)
• ¼ tsp pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add tomato paste, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Give it a stir and increase heat to medium-high until sauce starts to bubble. Allow it to bubble for about a minute, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove sauce from heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Pour sauce into a high speed blender, and blend until completely smooth. Store in jars in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for a few months.

Notes

*Regular canned diced tomatoes are fine too.

*Prep time includes time it takes to cool and blend sauce.

*Enjoy on this Greek pizza!