A Spanish-inspired, deep-flavored, vibrant sauce for sturdy pasta.
Do you like roasted red bell peppers?
You should try them in a pasta sauce!
Elise Bauer
Here’s a wonderful roasted bell pepper pasta sauce from the king of sauces himself,Hank Shaw.
If not, use regular spaghetti.
Can you use another shape?
Sure, just dont go too fine: Penne is great, angel hair is not.
The dish will not be the same, but it will still taste good.
I usecanned roasted red peppersfor this recipe, but there is no reason you cannot roast your own.
If you have leftovers, the sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week.
If you skip this step, the sauce will become too acidic.
Soak for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle some salt over the onions as they cook.
Add the garlic and sage, mix well, and saute another minute.
Mix in the anchovies, smashing them up, and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the red wine and stir well.
Turn the heat up to high and let this boil down by half.
Stir in the roasted red peppers and turn the heat back down to medium.
Let this simmer for 10 to 20 minutes.
Its pretty forgiving at this point.
You just want the peppers to be cooked through and soft.
Puree the sauce in a blender.
Turn off the blender and scrape the sides down.
Turn it on again, and starting at the low setting, bring it up to its highest setting.
Puree for at least a minute, until smooth.
Return the sauce to the pan and heat to medium-low.
Taste for salt and add some if needed.
Add the cayenne or hot paprika, along with smoked paprika if you have some.
Keep the sauce warm while you make the pasta.
To serve, drain the cooked pasta and put it into a large bowl.
Ladle some sauce over the pasta and mix with tongs to combine.
You want to coat all the noodles evenly.
Garnish with some grated cheese and minced fresh sage.
Serve with a medium-bodied red wine or a dry rose.
