This roasted red pepper pasta takes minutes to make and has the most incredible sauce! It’s perfect for a simple yet elegant weeknight dinner.
Our favorite Italian food has to be pasta, and we have tried many recipes. Our Miso pasta and avocado pesto pasta were a hit, so we bring you roasted red pepper pasta.
A roasted red pepper sauce gives it the perfect spicy heat that every Italian food lover would love!
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Why this recipe works
- Quick and easy. The recipe gets ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Full of flavors. By roasting the bell peppers before blending it into a sauce, it adds a deeper smoky flavor that everyone adores.
- Easy to customize. Add more spices, blend through some parmesan cheese, and use fresh herbs; the possibilities are endless!
What I love the most about this recipe is just how simple it is to prepare! This is the kind of pasta dish I serve at dinner parties and gatherings to impress my guests!
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for simple, pantry staple ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- Penne pasta. You can also use another pasta type, such as shell noodles.
- Olive oil. For cooking.
- Shallots. Finely hopped. Sauteed shallots are great for complementing the flavor of roasted peppers.
- Garlic. Minced.
- Roasted bell peppers. The signature ingredient for the sauce! I used jarred roasted peppers, but you are welcome to roast them from scratch.
- Nutritional yeast. To serve.
- Macadamia nut milk. Adds a creamy element to the sauce. You can also use cream or half-and-half.
- Tomato sauce. Also known as passata.
- Smoked paprika. To taste.
- Red chili flakes. Or red chili powder.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to make roasted red pepper pasta
With the easy steps below, your roasted red pepper pasta will be ready to enjoy!
Step 1: Cook pasta
Boil water in a large pot, add some salt, and then make pasta. Let it cook for 8-10 minutes or for the time mentioned on the package to cook pasta until it’s almost al dente.
Step 2: Prepare red pepper sauce
While your pasta cooks, add olive oil in a saucepan to saute the shallots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden. Once done, add the garlic and shallots to a blender along with roasted red peppers, macadamia nut milk, nutritional yeast, red chili flakes, and tomato passata and blend until smooth.
Pour the sauce into the saucepan again and let it simmer. Taste and season with salt before using it.
Step 3: Add pasta to red pepper sauce
Drain water from the pasta and add it to the simmering red pepper sauce. Let it cook until the pasta is completely cooked and the sauce is thickened or absorbed.
Step 4: Serve
Turn off the heat, transfer to the serving dish, and garnish with chopped parsley and nutritional yeast. Serve and enjoy!
Tips to make the best recipe
- Save half of the pasta water for adding to the sauce. It’ll smoothen the consistency and keep the pasta from sticking.
- To save time, you can use canned peppers for the recipe, and the flavor will be as good as with fresh peppers.
- Set a timer while cooking red peppers because they can easily burn, and you must ensure they are still bright and red when cooked.
Flavor variations
It’s easy to customize roasted red pepper pasta as per your taste. Here are some variations that you can try:
- Add veggies. If you love veggies in your pasta, you can add any of your favorites such as zucchini, broccoli, or baby spinach.
- Add some meat. To add more staying power and protein, you can add shredded or cubed chicken, beef, or turkey to your pasta.
- Make it non-vegan. Substitute nut milk with dairy milk if you want to enjoy a non-vegan recipe.
Storage instructions
To store. Put leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To freeze. When packed in a freezer-safe container, leftover pasta can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheating. Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or in the skillet before serving.
More pasta recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
If you use overripe peppers for the sauce, your red pepper sauce will be bitter. Try to choose peppers that are ripe but still firm to the touch.
You should peel the skin off to cook the roasted red peppers evenly.
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cup Penne Pasta Dry
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 small Shallots diced
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 3/4 cup Roasted Red Peppers chopped
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 3 tablespoons Tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup Parsley chopped Flat Leaf
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and then season liberally with salt before adding dry Pasta to the pot. Once you add pasta in, stir and let cook according to package instructions.
- Whilst your pasta is cooking, in a saucepan, heat up Olive Oil over low to medium heat and then sautee diced Shallot and minced Garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or till lightly golden.
- Transfer cooked Shallot and Garlic into a blender and add Roasted Red Peppers, Nutritional Yeast, Milk, Tomato Passata, and Red Chilli Flakes. Blend on high until almost completely smooth.
- Pour sauce back into saucepan and bring to a simmer. Taste and season with Salt and Pepper.
- Drain almost cooked Pasta well and add pasta to simmering Red Pepper sauce. Stir, and cook pasta and sauce together for a minute or two or until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce and thickened it up.
- Turn heat off and add 1/4 cup chopped Flat Leaf Parsley to saucepan. Mix well and dish out.
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