Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (Printable Version)

Luscious pasta with creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Quick, budget-friendly, and perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or plant-based cream
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
12 - Additional Parmesan cheese for serving

# Method Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Transfer sautéed onion and garlic to a blender or food processor. Add drained roasted red peppers, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth and creamy.
04 - Return the blended sauce to the skillet over low-medium heat. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing thoroughly to coat with sauce. If needed, add reserved pasta water a little at a time to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour roasting peppers yourself, but you actually just opened a jar.
  • The sauce clings to every piece of pasta in that perfect, glossy way that makes you want to lick the plate.
  • You can have this on the table faster than you can convince everyone to sit down and eat.
  • It works beautifully as a fancy date night dinner or a quick weeknight fix without changing a single thing.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the roasted red peppers well, I learned this the hard way when my sauce turned out watery and wouldn't stick to the pasta.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, it's the only thing that will fix a sauce that's too thick without making it greasy.
  • Blend the sauce until it's completely smooth with no chunks, or it won't coat the pasta evenly and you'll get pockets of onion that throw off the texture.
03 -
  • Taste your roasted red peppers before you blend them, some brands are sweeter or saltier than others and you'll want to adjust your seasoning accordingly.
  • If you don't have a blender, an immersion blender works just fine directly in the skillet, though you might need to fish out any onion chunks afterward.
  • For an even richer sauce, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste with the garlic before blending, it deepens the color and adds a subtle umami kick.
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