Roasted Pepper Sauce with Rosemary
This is a sauce whose entire flavor is built on roasted sweet peppers: after roasting, their flesh turns creamy, with pronounced sweetness and a light smoky note, especially if you cook the peppers over coals. Rosemary and garlic add a resinous, savory character, while olive oil binds everything into a thick, rich mass.
Roasted peppers are a cornerstone of Mediterranean cooking from Spain to the Balkans, where they are charred until the skin blisters, then peeled and used in salads, spreads, and sauces (think of Balkan ajvar or Catalan escalivada). Roasting in foil is a gentler method that preserves the juices, while an open flame gives that signature smoky taste.
Good to Know
After roasting, keep the peppers covered for a few minutes; the steam will make peeling easier. Do not rinse the peeled peppers with water or you will wash away the flavor; simply scrape off any remaining skin with a knife. Rosemary is potent, so do not overdo it; swap it for thyme or oregano if you like. For a smooth spread, blitz everything in a blender; for a rustic one, leave it in cubes.
Serve with grilled meat, hot dogs, roasted vegetables, or simply spread it on toast and crostini as a snack. The sauce keeps in the fridge for three to four days, and longer under a layer of oil.
Part of Mediterranean cuisine — 20 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Wrap each pepper in foil and roast in an oven preheated to 190 C for an hour. Alternatively, roast over coals or on a grill until the skin chars.
Let the roasted peppers cool slightly right in the foil, peel off the skin and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into medium cubes.
Mix with the finely chopped rosemary leaves, parsley, and minced garlic. Add the olive oil and salt and stir.
The resulting sauce can be served on toast or crostini.
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