Roasted Red Pepper Pantry Pasta (Printable version)

Vibrant creamy pasta with sweet roasted red peppers and pantry staples. Ready in 30 minutes for a satisfying vegetarian meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti)

→ Sauce

02 - 1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small yellow onion, chopped
06 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth or pasta cooking water
08 - 1/4 cup cream cheese or mascarpone
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
12 - Extra Parmesan cheese (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Sauté the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic (and red pepper flakes, if using) and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Add the drained roasted red peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Transfer the skillet contents to a blender or use an immersion blender in the pan. Add the vegetable broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Blend until smooth and creamy.
05 - Return the blended sauce to the skillet over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat thoroughly in the sauce. Heat for 1-2 minutes until everything is hot.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms basic pantry ingredients into something that tastes like you spent hours simmering sauce
  • The sauce comes together in under 15 minutes but looks and tastes impressively elegant
02 -
  • The sauce will look alarmingly vibrant and almost neon pink in the blender, but it mellows into a beautiful coral color when it hits the hot pasta
  • Reserving pasta water is not optional here, it is the magical ingredient that binds the sauce to the noodles
03 -
  • If your blender struggles with hot sauce, let it cool for just a few minutes before blending, or vent the blender occasionally to release steam
  • The sauce thickens as it sits, so when reheating leftovers, add a splash of water or broth to bring it back to life

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