Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (Printable Page)

Vibrant creamy pasta featuring sweet roasted red peppers blended into a smooth sauce with garlic and Parmesan cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

02 - 2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped (or 12 oz jarred roasted red peppers, drained)
03 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
04 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves, torn
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# Steps:

01 - If using fresh red bell peppers, roast them over an open flame or under the broiler until the skin is charred. Place in a covered bowl and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel, deseed, and roughly chop.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add the roasted red peppers to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender directly in the pan. Blend until smooth.
05 - Return the sauce to the skillet over low heat. Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Add reserved pasta water if needed to reach desired consistency.
06 - Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Garnish with fresh torn basil and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but the whole thing comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta and answer a few emails.
  • The sauce is naturally sweet from the peppers, so you dont need sugar or long simmering to coax out flavor.
  • It reheats beautifully the next day, and somehow tastes even better after the flavors have had time to sit together overnight.
02 -
  • Dont skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce stick and brings everything together in a way plain water never will.
  • If your sauce tastes flat, add a pinch more salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, it brightens the peppers and makes the whole dish come alive.
03 -
  • Roast extra peppers and keep them in the fridge, theyre great on sandwiches, in omelets, or blended into another batch of this sauce.
  • If you dont have heavy cream, half and half works in a pinch, just add an extra tablespoon of Parmesan to thicken it up.
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