They say everything’s better in summer, and when it comes to produce, I couldn’t agree more. Because it means I get to make dishes like this vegan roasted red pepper pasta (and yes, this is a riff off my roasted tomato pasta which is a sister recipe to this dish).
The hero of this pasta dish is the sauce – it’s where all the magic happens! It’s a combo of sweet and slightly charred roasted red peppers, sweet white onion, loads of garlic, and creamy cashew milk, with a kick of heat from red pepper flakes. Resulting in a silky sweet roasted red pepper pasta sauce that pairs perfectly with almost any pasta shape.
And if you’re not convinced to make this dish yet – here are a few more selling points.
- It comes together in just under 40 minutes – which is mostly hands-free roasting time!
- You need just a handful of ingredients to make this dish.
- This pasta dish is hassle-free and easy to whip up on a weeknight.
- Plus, it’s easily made nut-free (so long as you use whole milk or oat milk), gluten-free, and it’s naturally vegan!
Little note, feel free to embellish this dish and make it your own. Throw in some spinach or arugula for some greens. Or add a can of butter beans, cannellini beans, shredded chicken, etc. for added protein.
Ingredients For This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Rounding up everything you’ll need for this creamy roasted red pepper pasta + a few ingredients notes.
- Red peppers: Feel free to use regular red peppers or mini red peppers – both work just as well.
- Sweet white onion: Sweet white onions are just a tad sweeter (and milder) in flavor than regular yellow onions, which is why I prefer them for this pasta dish. That said, you can use regular yellow onions or sub in shallots.
- Fresh garlic
- Cashew milk: I used my homemade cashew milk (without the dates or vanilla extract), but any creamy milk would work well here. If you’re nut-free, regular whole milk, hemp milk, or oat milk would work well here.
- Olive oil
- Tomato paste
- Oregano
- Kosher salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Penne pasta: I prefer using penne rigate – aka penne pasta with ridges which help it catch and hold the sauce better. Quick note if you’re gluten-free, Jovial has amazing brown-rice pasta.
- Finely grated parmesan for nutritional yeast for serving
A Few Quick Tips + Notes
This easy roasted red pepper pasta is foolproof, but I had to leave you with a few tips (3 to be specific) to make this recipe perfect!!
- Don’t throw out the water/juice from roasting the peppers and aromatics; add it back to the sauce. The juice has so much flavor and sweetness, which adds a nice depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Speaking of flavor, let the peppers and onions char. Letting the aromatics char slightly adds a little hint of smokiness to the sauce which is just phenomenal!
- Finely grate the parmesan. I can’t be the only one who thinks that depending on how cheese is sliced or grated, it tastes wildly different?! Right?? Anywho, I highly recommend grating the parmesan super fine; it compliments this dish better!
I can’t wait for you to make this red pepper pasta! If you love this recipe, please leave a rating and review below! And if you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me a DM on Instagram.
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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, Pasta
- Cuisine: American
Description
This roasted red pepper pasta is a summer staple for me; think silky smooth sweet red pepper pasta sauce paired with penne rigate and parmesan. It’s simple, classic, and so easy to whip up on a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
Peppers & Aromatics
- 3 medium (420 g) red peppers, cut into large slices
- 1 medium (230 g) sweet white onion, cut into wedges
- 8 garlic cloves
- Olive oil and kosher salt for roasting
Other Ingredients
- 10 oz (255 g) penne rigate or any tube-shaped pasta
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1/2 cup (110 ml) cashew milk or any creamy milk
- 1/4 cup (45 ml) pasta water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes*
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed**
- Finely grated parmesan or nutritional yeast for serving
Instructions
- Roast the peppers and aromatics. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper (which makes for easier cleanup). Add the red peppers, onion, and garlic cloves onto the sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, and toss to coat. Roast the peppers and aromatics for 25-30 minutes or until the peppers and onions are slightly charred.
- Make the pasta. In parallel to roasting the peppers and aromatics, make the pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, and then return the drained pasta to your pot along with the butter or olive oil. Stir to coat and cover.
- Bring the sauce together. Once the aromatics are done roasting, dump the peppers, onions, and any juice into a high-powered blender, along with the cashew milk, reserved pasta water, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Blend on low for 30 seconds, then ramp the speed up to medium and blend the sauce until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes total.
- Mix with the pasta and serve. Pour all of the sauce over the pot of pasta, turn the stove on medium-low, and stir to coat the pasta until the sauce clings, about 3-4 minutes. Adjust for salt and serve the pasta with a generous handful of finely grated parmesan.
Notes
*The red pepper flakes add a good kick of heat to the sauce, so if you’re sensitive, use 1/2 tsp instead.
**I used a total of 2 tsp of salt, but adjust to your preference.
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