Description
Create a velvety, bold pasta sauce with roasted red peppers. This recipe is simple to follow and brings warmth to your table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (like penne or rigatoni)
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or substitute for a lighter sauce)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roast the red peppers whole on a baking sheet until the skin is completely blackened, about 20-25 minutes.
- Place the hot peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let them steam for 10 minutes.
- Peel the skin off the peppers, remove the seeds and stems. Roughly chop the roasted flesh.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not brown the garlic.
- Add the chopped roasted red peppers and broth to the saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the pepper mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Return the sauce to the saucepan. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Heat gently, do not boil.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Toss to coat everything well. Add reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Peeling the peppers is key for a truly smooth sauce. Don’t skip the steaming step!
- For a vegan option, use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream and a vegan Parmesan substitute.
- Taste the sauce before adding salt; Parmesan cheese adds a good amount of saltiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasting and Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: Estimate needed
- Sugar: Estimate needed
- Sodium: Estimate needed
- Fat: Estimate needed
- Saturated Fat: Estimate needed
- Unsaturated Fat: Estimate needed
- Trans Fat: Estimate needed
- Carbohydrates: Estimate needed
- Fiber: Estimate needed
- Protein: Estimate needed
- Cholesterol: Estimate needed