Eggplant in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

By Rex Marketing & CX Team

Eggplant rolls stuffed with goat cheese, capers, and olives on red pepper sauce in a skillet

The Secret to a Versatile, Umami-Packed Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

A high-quality Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is a kitchen essential that delivers a deep umami punch. By sautéing shallots and garlic in California Olive Oil, opens in a new tab and deglazing with 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar, opens in a new tab, you create a complex flavor profile that often rivals the best tomato sauces. This sauce is not only the perfect bed for goat cheese-stuffed eggplant rolls but also excels as a base for roasted cauliflower or grilled proteins. The addition of craft vinegar provides a necessary "sweet and sour" balance that elevates the natural sugars found in roasted peppers.

This versatile Roasted Red Pepper Sauce delivers a powerful umami punch. It balances sweet and sour notes so perfectly that your dinner guests may confuse it for an especially flavorful tomato sauce.

Pairing with Roasted Eggplant

In this recipe, we pair the sauce with tender eggplant slices rolled around a briny mix of goat cheese, capers, and Kalamata olives. The creamy cheese and salty olives provide a sharp contrast to the silky, sweet pepper base. While the steps are detailed, the ingredients come together easily for a restaurant-quality result.

Mediterranean Versatility

This sauce is a Mediterranean-inspired staple. It works exceptionally well with roasted cruciferous vegetables. You can use it as a flavorful foundation for a roasted cauliflower steak topped with hazelnuts, parmesan shavings, and fresh parsley.

Tips for Mastering the Red Pepper Sauce Habit

  • The Vinegar Deglaze: When you add the 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar to the hot pan, turn up the heat immediately. Allow the vinegar to evaporate into the peppers. This ensures the flavors penetrate the peppers rather than sitting as a liquid pool.
  • Achieve a Mousse-Like Texture: For a velvety finish, blend the sautéed peppers with cold water and a second portion of olive oil. Using a high-powered food processor or blender will emulsify the oils for a professional consistency.
  • Control Your Salt: The goat cheese and capers in the eggplant rolls add significant salt to the final dish. Season your sauce lightly at first, adjusting only after you have tasted the combined components.
  • Roast for Structure: Roast your eggplant slices on the lowest oven rack. You want the underside to darken and dry slightly. This makes the slices sturdy enough to roll without tearing.

 

FAQs About Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Can I use this roasted red pepper sauce for pasta?

Absolutely. This sauce is an excellent dairy-free alternative to traditional tomato or vodka sauces. Its thick, creamy texture clings well to penne or fusilli.

How long does homemade red pepper sauce last?

You can store this sauce in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to five days. It also freezes well, making it a great option for meal prep.

What makes this sauce taste like tomato sauce?

The combination of slow-cooked shallots, roasted peppers, and the acidity of the apple cider vinegar mimics the savory and sweet profile of a long-simmered tomato sauce.

Which vinegar to use, and why

Eggplant absorbs everything, so it needs an assertive vinegar. The smoky heat here meets the roasted pepper. We use Apple Cider Hot Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

It keeps covered in the fridge and the flavor settles overnight, which usually improves it.

What to cook next

Try Romesco Sauce, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

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Eggplant in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4 People

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hours

Cuisine

Mediterranean

Category

Main / Side

This versatile Roasted Red Pepper Sauce delivers a powerful umami punch, balancing sweet and sour notes so perfectly that guests often mistake it for a sophisticated tomato sauce. In this preparation, it serves as a rich bed for tender, roasted eggplant rolls stuffed with a briny mix of goat cheese, capers, and Kalamata olives. It’s a Mediterranean-inspired dish that is equally at home as an elegant appetizer or a hearty main when paired with grains.

Eggplant in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

    Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

    • ½ cup AVW Olive Oil (split in two portions)
    • 2 Shallots, finely sliced
    • 2 Garlic cloves, finely sliced
    • ~17-ounce jar of roasted red peppers (about 5 or 6 medium-sized red peppers in a jar)
    • ¼ cup of 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon of sugar
    • 1/3 cup of cold water
    • Large pinch of salt

    Rolled Eggplant

    • 1 large eggplant sliced the long way
    • AVW Olive Oil for brushing sliced eggplant
    • Salt
    • 4 ounces of goat cheese
    • 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, more for garnish
    • 2 tablespoons of capers, roughly chopped
    • 2 tablespoons of Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

    2. Generously brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil.  Salt each side

    3. Roast eggplant on a baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven.  Eggplant is done when the underside of the eggplant is well cooked/has darkened and dried slightly and the top has started to develop some color.  This will likely be around 30 minutes but start checking at 20 minutes.  No need to flip the eggplant.

    4. While the eggplant roasts you can prepare the filling by breaking up the goat cheese with the back of a fork in a small bowl.  Once it is crumbly you can add olives, capers, and parsley and mix well. Set aside.

    5. Add ¼ cup of olive oil to a large pan at medium heat. You will want a pan that is large enough to allow some space/room for evaporation between ingredients.  Once oil is warm add shallots and garlic.  Allow to cook 3 or 4 minutes until soft but before they start to brown.

    6. Drain the roasted red peppers if you are using jarred peppers. Slice the red peppers and add them to the pan. You are blending this all later so the shape does not matter.

    7. Turn the heat up and immediately add vinegar and stir. The vinegar will evaporate up in a cloud so don’t stand over the pan as you add the vinegar.  We are using the 19.53 ACV because of its sweet and tangy flavor.

    8. Add the sugar. Stir and allow the vinegar to mostly evaporate.  We are looking to get these flavors to penetrate into the peppers rather than exist as a big liquid pool next to the peppers.

    9. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend well.

    10. Add cold water and blend

    11. Add ¼ cup of olive oil and blend.

    12. Season with salt.  Consider your intended use.  In this recipe the goat cheese/capers/olives will add salt to the final dish so less salt is needed in the roasted red pepper sauce.

    13. Remove eggplant from oven when done.  When safe to touch, gently loosen eggplant slices from baking sheet so that you can roll them after.

    14. Add about one tablespoon of filling to each eggplant slice and roll the eggplant carefully.  You may be tempted to add more cheese but do not—it is strongly flavored and can overpower the dish if the eggplant rolls are overly stuffed.

    15. Lower the over to 400 degrees. 

    16. Pour the red pepper sauce into a small oven safe dish.  Carefully place the stuffed eggplant rolls on the sauce with the fold side down.

    17. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve alongside Israeli/pearl couscous or a grain like barley or farro.
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