Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Creamy roasted pepper alfredo in a white plate garnished with chopped basil

4.92 from 36 votes

This rich and creamy roasted red pepper sauce is loaded with amazing flavors from red peppers, buttery roasted garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

4-5 red bell peppers quartered with stems and seeds removed*
2 whole heads garlic [roasted] or 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion diced
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons fresh basil sliced into thin strips
16 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine cooked according to package directions.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to broil on high. Roast the peppers, skin side up under the broiler for 7-10 minutes or until skins are blackened all around. Remove from the oven and place peppers in a glass bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam for 30 minutes, then remove the skins with your fingers (they should slip right off) and chop.
4-5 red bell peppers
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then sauté the onions in the olive oil until soft. Add the roasted peppers and roasted garlic with the cloves removed from the papery skin, and stir to combine and heat through.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Transfer the peppers, onions, and garlic to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2 whole heads garlic, 1/2 medium onion
Melt the butter in the same pan. Pour the red pepper puree back into the pan with the butter and add the broth, cream, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
2 Tablespoons salted butter, 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, Salt and pepper, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Remove pan from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Prepare the fettuccine according to package directions in salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining, then drain well. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently toss to coat, adding as much of the reserved pasta water as you like to get the consistency you want.
16 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine
Sprinkle with a little additional Parmesan cheese and basil strips and serve immediately.
2 Tablespoons fresh basil

Notes

You can use one 16-ounce jar of roasted red peppers from the store instead of roasting your own. Just drain thoroughly, then use in the recipe as written.
Two whole heads of garlic might seem like a lot, but roasting garlic really mellows the flavor and it won't be overpowering at all in this sauce. If you don't have time to roast the garlic, just mince up 4 garlic cloves and saute them in with the onions instead.

Nutrition

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