Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This roasted red pepper sauce with garlic and romano cheese is absolutely amazing!  Roasting the peppers intensifies their flavor and if a little of the charred skin gets mixed into the final sauce, all the better.  This is the perfect way to use up sweet bell peppers that are a little past their prime.  Let me walk you through the process.

Start by roasting the peppers.  I like to roast whole peppers over an open flame on the stovetop or barbeque grill.  Another method that works well is to cut out the stem and seeds, then cut the peppers so they will lay flat on a foil-lined sheet pan (skin side up) and pop them under the broiler until the skin blisters and bubbles and turns black.

Place the blackened peppers in a bowl.

Cover well with plastic so the peppers can steam, which will loosen the skin.  Allow them to cool completely.  This can be done a day or two ahead of time - just pop the covered bowl into the fridge.

This is what my peppers looked like after spending the night in the fridge.  See all the liquid in the bottom of the bowl?  It's absolutely full of flavor, so I'm definitely not going to throw it away.  

Note:  You may not see that much liquid if you use your roasted peppers right away.

Strain and reserve any juices that may collect in the bowl.

Ok, now it's time to get a little messy.  I like to use a paper towel to pull the charred skin off the peppers.  I've also used a spoon or butter knife to scrape it away.  One word of caution - do not rinse the peppers under running water.  It will wash all that wonderful flavor away.  

The charred skin will remove quite easily.  Don't worry if some charred bits remain - they will add a lovely flavor to the sauce.

It's hard to believe that under that black blistered jacket, a vibrantly luscious pepper awaits. 

I told you we were going to get a little messy, but as soon as you taste this sauce you'll know it was oh so worth it!! 

Now that we've removed the charred skin, it's time to remove the stem and seeds.  The peppers are so soft, you can literally pull the stem and seeds right out. 

Now roughly chop the lovely roasted peppers and set them aside until needed.  Make sure you do this before you proceed with the recipe so you can add them to the pan at exactly the right moment.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute garlic in olive oil.

Stir constantly for 30-60 seconds - being careful to not burn the garlic.  As soon as you can smell the garlic, add the chopped peppers.

Mmmm. 

Sprinkle in the salt and pepper.

And a pat of butter.  Butter makes everything better. 

And here's where the sauce gets real good - add fresh basil, the best herb on earth! 

Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.  

I wish every person reading this could smell the lovely aroma wafting out of my skillet.  I promise you would head straight into the kitchen to make this sauce. 

Place the entire contents of the pan into a blender.  Get every last drop!

Oh, and don't forget to add the strained pepper juice too.  

Add grated romano cheese.  You could also use parmesan, but romano has a little more flavor.

And a.dd a touch of cream. 

Pulse, pulse, pulse to blend. 

Don't blend it too much - it's nice if the sauce retains some texture.

Serve over pasta.  I hope you are starving, because you're going to want seconds for sure.  Enjoy! 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• stainless garlic press https://amzn.to/3dDfW5p

• box grater https://amzn.to/2YUkIaz

• nutribullet https://amzn.to/3RzgE7l

• rondeau https://amzn.to/3dvDeKC

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Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

makes enough sauce to dress 1 pound pasta

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (reserve juices)

• 10-12 medium fresh basil leaves

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 3/4 ounce romano cheese, grated

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30-60 seconds.

3. Add chopped red peppers, basil, salt, pepper, and butter; cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove mixture from heat and place pepper mixture, cheese, and cream in a blender; pulse until blended, but still a little chunky.

5. Serve over cooked pasta.

Chicken Cutlets, Nuggets, or Strips

This was not only my favorite chicken when I was growing up, but it was also the favorite of my siblings, and later, my own children.  The recipe is the same whether you call it chicken cutlets, chicken nuggets, or chicken strips - the only difference is how you cut the chicken.  

The recipe is pretty flexible - you can completely omit the grated cheese (my mother never used it), but I like my bread crumb mixture to contain up to 1/2 cheese - I think it adds wonderful flavor.  I also like to cook my chicken in extra virgin olive oil, despite reports to the contrary, it adds amazing flavor.  Lastly, I finish the chicken with a heavy squeeze of fresh lemon juice - again, adding amazing flavor.  Honestly, I wouldn't bother making it if I didn't have fresh lemons on hand.  

Cut chicken into desired shape.

Prepare crumb mixture by adding up to 1/2 grated parmesan or romano cheese, or if you're like my mother, just use straight up Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.  don't even think about using plain breadcrumbs. 

If adding cheese to the breadcrumbs, mix them well.

Beat the eggs in a bowl.

Dip the chicken pieces in the egg, being careful to coat completely before allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl.

Place egg coated chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, coating completely.

Preheat oil in a skillet or shallow pan until it begins to shimmer.  

Fry chicken until golden brown on one side, then flip and repeat.  remove from oil when cooked through and immediately sprinkle with a little kosher salt.  

Serve with plenty of fresh lemon wedges.  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• Italian seasoned bread crumbs https://amzn.to/397A3q0

• Wusthof Nakiri knife https://amzn.to/2Qu2YxP

• good quality skillet https://amzn.to/2UfMU3X

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Chicken Cutlets, Nuggets, or Strips

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into nuggets, strips, or cutlets

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup mixture of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and grated parmesan or romano cheese (see note below)

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• kosher salt to taste

• 2 large lemons, sliced into wedges

Directions

1. Cut chicken into desired shape.

2. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs and grated cheese if using.

4. Dip chicken into beaten egg, followed by breadcrumb mixture.

5. In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmering.

6. Fry chicken in oil until golden brown on both sides; drain chicken on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.

7. Serve with plenty of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Notes

• You can omit the cheese and use just bread crumbs, but I like to use a mixture of half Italian seasoned bread crumbs and half grated Parmesan or Pecorio Romano cheese.

• For extra crunch, use Italian seasoned PANKO bread crumbs.