Tired of marinara? You’ll love this easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce! Creamy and flavorful, it tastes delicious with chewy rigatoni or any pasta you like.
When life gives you roasted red peppers, make Roasted Red Pepper Pasta! This tasty recipe is a fun way to mix up your weeknight pasta night because although it looks like pasta with marinara, it tastes like something else entirely. Red Pepper Pasta Sauce is lightly creamy, tangy and full of sweet and smoky flavors. Sun-dried tomatoes provide an intense flavor and basil gives it a refreshing touch.
If you’ve been stuck in the pasta situation lately, I hope you give this recipe a try. These roasted pepper pasta are simple, unexpected, and most importantly, flavorful. It’s the perfect way to spice things up!
Ingredients for a roasted red pepper pasta recipe
Here’s what you need for this Roasted Red Pepper Peppers recipe:
- Roasted red peppers, Naturally! Use a store-bought jar of roasted red peppers or make your own roasted red peppers. Pickled peppers add a spicier flavor to the sauce. Homemade makes the taste fresher.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk – This will blend the peppers into a slightly creamy sauce.
- Fresh Basil – Mix some into the sauce and garnish the pasta with more before serving. Fresh and flavorful, it tops this recipe. Don’t skip it!
- sun-dried tomatoes – They provide a rich, savory depth of flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – For body and fullness.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – It gives the sauce a bright, spicy note.
- Garlic – For hearty bites.
- Smoked Peppers – It brings out the smoky flavor of the peppers.
- Rigatoni pasta – Or any pasta shape you like.
- parmesan cheese – It thickens the sauce and gives it a nutty flavor.
- pine nuts – For the crunch.
- Red pepper flakes – For warmth.
- And salt and pepper – So that all the flavors come into their own!
The full recipe with measurements is below.
How to make Roasted Pepper Pasta
This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta recipe is perfect for weeknights and easy to make. You start by mixing the creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce:
Pasta sauce with roasted red peppers
This sauce is creamy… but it’s not cream. Instead, the mixed peppers and sun-dried tomatoes provide its silky texture.
To prepare, place the roasted red peppers, almond milk, basil, sundried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika powder, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
At this point, the sauce might appear runny. That’s OK! It gets thicker on the stove.
In the meantime cook the noodles. Only al dente! Instead, I want you to undercook the noodles here. Drain after cooking 3 to 5 minutes less than package directions say. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
Transfer the sauce to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat and add the cooked pasta.
Cook the noodles in the sauce until the sauce thickens and the pasta is al dente. Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.
Finally, grab it! Serve the pasta with pine nuts, grated parmesan, red pepper flakes and some basil. Enjoy!
Make this recipe vegan
Skip the cheese! Instead, serve the pasta with large sprinkles of my vegan parmesan. It’s a blend of cashews, lemon zest, and nutritional yeast and adds a great savory, nutty flavor to this recipe.
What to serve with Roasted Pepper Noodles
I often enjoy this pasta as a standalone meal (with crusty bread to mop up the red pepper sauce, of course!). But if you’re looking for something to serve on the side, you have plenty of options.
Pair the pasta with a side vegetable like roasted broccoli, roasted fennel, or grilled zucchini. It would also taste delicious with any of these salad recipes:
Fancy a heartier meal? Serve the noodles with any simply cooked protein you like.
storage and warming up
This recipe is best eaten the day you make it, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Microwave to reheat, or heat on the stovetop with a dash of water or vegetable broth to loosen the sauce.
More vegetarian pasta recipes
If you love those roasted pepper pasta, next try one of these vegetarian pasta recipes:
Roasted Pepper Pasta
serves 4
These roasted pepper pasta are creamy, flavorful and super easy to make! Garnish with fresh basil and shaved parmesan for a delicious weeknight meal.
Prevent your screen from going dark
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In a blender, combine the red peppers, almond milk, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, and salt. Mix until you get a creamy mass.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, about 3 to 5 minutes, until al dente. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
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Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add the sauce. Stir in the noodles. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is al dente. Add the grated parmesan and stir until it melts into the sauce. Remove from stove.
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Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice. Top with basil, Parmesan shavings, pine nuts and red pepper flakes and serve.