Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Cashews

Written by Becky

Some people run to food, others to red wine but for me its cooking.  When I need to get away or to let my mind rest from all the other heavy things in life, I cook.  And I’ve been cooking a lot lately, most recently creating this recipe:  Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Cashews.  A recipe with so much versatility, pour it over fresh pasta, over sauteed chicken or vegetables, or over your favorite grain like quinoa or farro.

The roasted flavor of the red peppers adds the perfect smokiness to the sauce, while the cashew-puree adds a creamy and buttery flavor.  I’ve been experimenting a lot lately using nuts to add flavor and texture to dishes and sauces.  Cashews tend to make things creamy, while peanuts add saltiness and almonds add a nuttiness and a grainy texture. Pureeing the nuts in a food processor allows you to add them to just about anything, from sauces, to soups or smoothies.  I have so much more to explore with this idea.

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Cashews

Yield: makes about 3 cups of sauce

Ingredients

  • 6 red bell peppers
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup cashews, raw and unsalted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • dash of red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 1Tb lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat to 450°F. Arrange the peppers and garlic on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven, turning every 15 minutes until done (about 30-40 minutes). Peppers will be done when all of the skin is blackened and crisp.
  2. Place the peppers in a covered bowl or brown paper bag. As the steam from the peppers condenses, the skin becomes easier to peel off.
  3. Once the peppers have cooled, carefully peel off the blackened skin and discard. You can do this with your fingers or a sharp paring knife. Pull or cut off the top of the pepper and squeeze gently to remove the seeds. *Never rinse or wash the peppers, as the water will diminish the smoky flavor.
  4. Next, combine the red peppers, roasted garlic, cashews, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Freeze or heat in a sauce pan and serve. When I heat it up I usually add a little bit of white wine to the sauce.
https://www.thevintagemixer.com/roasted-red-pepper-sauce-with-cashews/

Ways to use this sauce:
Over Pasta
Over Sauteed Chicken or Vegetables
As a spread in a sandwich
Over grains like quinoa or farro
As a pizza sauce
Over eggs
… what would you use it with?!

Comments (15)

  1. Mmmm, this looks like a much healthier version of my roasted red pepper sauce that steeps the roasted red peppers in cream! But ohhh sooo good! Will have to give this a try, thanks and keep escaping to food, it's for all of our own good.

  2. I use a sauce similar to this for vegan pizza. The richness of the cashews helps eliminate the need for cheese 🙂 Can't wait to try your version. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Wow, that sounds incredible. And a perfect use for the cashews I just picked up at Whole Foods the other day. Thanks!

  4. Wow, that sounds incredible. And a perfect use for the cashews I just picked up at Whole Foods a few days ago. Thanks!

  5. I agree that cooking can be such a great break from all the other craziness of life. It looks as though you have come up with an amazing sauce. I would love to serve this over fish, in sandwiches, mixed into quinoa…

  6. I have to let you know I made this and loved it! It was so easy and amazingly delicious. I planned on serving it over cauliflower steaks, but ended up putting it over whole wheat penne. So creamy and so perfect.

    Thanks for a lovely recipe. It will be a staple in our home now.

  7. Just came across your blog, and I'm hooked by this recipe! We have various allergies in my family, including tomatoes, so I'm always looking for tomato sauce alternatives. I've done a roasted red pepper puree before, but I love the idea of adding cashews for creaminess… will be experimenting with your recipe soon. Thanks!

  8. Reb, thanks for the comment! If you try it, let me know what you think. I also have some aversions to tomato sauce so I find this to be a great alternative! You could try dressing it up more like tomato sauce with garlic and herbs. enjoy!

  9. I’ve been experimenting with nuts a lot, as well. Just last month I made two different sauces for enchiladas using cashews in one and pepitas in another. MMM!

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