Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Marinara

Note: As pictured, the sauce pairs well with pan toasted gnocchi (find instructions on the blog post link). It would also be delicious over your favorite pasta, under eggs in a shakshuka, or over a pile of white beans, for a gluten-free option. Cook time is for the sauce only.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven. Cool on a layer of paper towels or a cutting board. Roughly chop and reserve for garnish.

With ½ tablespoon of the olive oil, use your fingers to coat bell peppers in oil. Broil (low broil setting, if there is more than one) on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet 6 inches from heat source, for about 13 minutes, until blackened on top. Remove tray from oven and rotate peppers 90 degrees and continue broiling for 5 minutes each on the remaining 3 sides, until the peppers are charred and mostly blackened. Place peppers in a glass or metal bowl, cover with a dish towel and dinner plate and leave alone for 15 minutes.

Working on the baking sheet, use your hands or a small paring knife to remove charred skins from peppers, without rinsing. Remove stems and seeds. Reserve ¼ of 1 pepper for garnish, and roughly chop remaining peppers. Reserve chopped peppers in the bowl with the juices from the baking sheet. Finely chop the pepper reserved for garnish and set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium until hot. Add onion and cook 5 to 8 minutes until soft and slightly brown. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about a minute, stirring constantly. Add chopped roasted red pepper with juices and nutmeg, and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and increase heat to medium high. Roughly chop tomatoes in the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring sauce to a vigorous simmer, then lower heat a bit and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

Blend sauce with an immersion blender, or carefully (in small batches) in a blender. Return sauce to pan over medium low heat. Add half the chopped chard and cover to steam, 2 minutes. Stir chard into the sauce until wilted, then repeat with remaining chard. Remove from heat.

Off of heat, stir in cream and half the goat cheese until melted and combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed (I didn’t use much seasoning given the rich flavor of the sauce). Keep sauce warm over low heat or by covering.

Serve sauce as desired, garnishing with remaining crumbled goat cheese, reserved finely chopped roasted red pepper, and chopped toasted walnuts.