This creamy roasted red pepper pasta is sweet, spicy, and you probably have most of the ingredients on-hand to whip this up!
Isn’t that sauce just glorious!? We used a combination of butter, aromatics, and a full cup of prepared roasted red peppers along with crushed and whole peeled tomatoes to create a rich, flavorful sauce that sticks to every noodle.
I love a delicious sweet basil sauce, so I threw in a little sugar and a few sprigs of basil. You can omit the sugar, if you’re not a fan!
This creamy roasted red pepper sauce is so easy to make with super accessible ingredients – I guarantee you have most of the ingredients already!
How to Make this Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta:
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make. You’ll start by sautéing aromatics, including onion, garlic, red Fresno pepper, and sliced roasted red peppers. Now, I used jarred red peppers but you can absolutely prepare them yourself. You’ll want to use one large red bell pepper or two small ones.
After your aromatics smell delicious, throw in your tomatoes, basil, and sugar if using. Let that simmer for about 30 minutes.
While the roasted red pepper sauce simmers, prepare the pasta and be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Throw the cream and pasta cooking water into the sauce and let it bubble for a few minutes and then toss with the pasta until it’s well-coated. That’s it! It’s beyond easy.
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Check my archives!
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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and diced
- 1 red Fresno chili pepper trimmed and minced (or use crushed red pepper to taste)
- 1 cup roasted red bell peppers diced
- 14.5 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 14.5 ounce can whole-peeled tomatoes
- 2 sprigs of basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 16 ounces dry pasta of your choice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley dry or fresh, optional for serving
Instructions
Start the Sauce:
- Melt the butter into a wide pot over medium heat. Once frothy, add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes until softened and beginning to brown.
- Add the garlic, minced red pepper, and roasted red pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the Sauce:
- Add the crushed tomatoes and whole peeled tomatoes and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the sauce begins to bubble, turn the heat to low. Add the basil sprigs and sugar, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the flavors have melted. Add water, as necessary, to loosen up the sauce if it sticks.
Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
Finish the Sauce:
- Add the cream and pasta cooking water to the sauce and turn the heat to medium. Once it begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes, turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta and toss to coat it with the sauce. Taste and season again to your preferences.
To Serve:
- Divide the cooked pasta between bowls and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
