Tired of marinara? You'll love this easy roasted red pepper pasta sauce! Creamy and tangy, it's delicious on chewy rigatoni or any pasta you like.
When life gives you roasted red peppers, make roasted red pepper pasta! This yummy recipe is a fun way to change up your weeknight pasta rotation, because even though it looks like pasta with marinara, it tastes like something else entirely. The red pepper pasta sauce is lightly creamy, tangy, and filled with sweet and smoky flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes make it deeply savory, and basil adds a refreshing kick.
If you’ve been stuck in a pasta rut lately, I hope you’ll try this recipe. This roasted red pepper pasta is simple, unexpected, and nothing if not flavorful. It’s the perfect way to spice things up!
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this roasted red pepper pasta recipe:
- Roasted red peppers, of course! Use a store-bought jar of roasted red peppers, or make your own roasted red bell peppers. Jarred peppers will give the sauce a tangier flavor. Homemade ones will make it taste fresher.
- Unsweetened almond milk – It helps the peppers blend into a lightly creamy sauce.
- Fresh basil – You’ll blend some into the sauce and garnish the pasta with more before serving. Fresh and aromatic, it takes this recipe over the top. Don’t skip it!
- Sun-dried tomatoes – They add rich, savory depth of flavor.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For body and richness.
- Fresh lemon juice – It gives the sauce a bright, tangy kick.
- Garlic – For savory bite.
- Smoked paprika – It brings out the peppers’ smoky flavor.
- Rigatoni pasta – Or any pasta shape you like.
- Parmesan cheese – It thickens the sauce and adds nutty flavor.
- Pine nuts – For crunch.
- Red pepper flakes – For heat.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Perfect for weeknights, this roasted red pepper pasta recipe is easy to make. You’ll start by blending up the creamy roasted red pepper pasta sauce:
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
This sauce is creamy…but it’s not made with heavy cream. Instead, the blended peppers and sun-dried tomatoes create its silky texture.
To make it, place the roasted red peppers, almond milk, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth.
The sauce might seem runny at this point. That’s ok! It’ll thicken up on the stove.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Not until al dente! Instead, I want you to undercook the pasta here. Drain it after boiling it for 3 to 5 minutes less than the time listed in the package instructions. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
Transfer the sauce to a large skillet. Heat it over medium heat, and add the boiled pasta.
Cook the pasta in the sauce until the sauce thickens and the pasta is al dente. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, and stir until it melts. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.
Finally, dig in! Serve the pasta topped with pine nuts, shaved Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and more basil. Enjoy!
Make this recipe vegan
Skip the cheese! Instead, serve the pasta with big sprinkles of my vegan Parmesan. It’s a blend of cashews, lemon zest, and nutritional yeast, and it adds great savory, nutty flavor to this recipe.
What to Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
I often enjoy this pasta as a meal on its own (with crusty bread for mopping up the red pepper sauce, of course!). But if you’re looking for something to serve on the side, you have plenty of options.
Pair the pasta with a vegetable side dish, such as roasted broccoli, roasted fennel, or grilled zucchini. It would also be delicious with any of these salad recipes:
Craving a heartier meal? Serve the pasta with any simply cooked protein you like.
Storage & Reheating
This recipe is best on the day it’s made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pop them in the microwave to reheat, or warm them on the stove with a splash of water or vegetable broth to loosen the sauce.
More Veggie Pasta Recipes
If you love this roasted red pepper pasta, try one of these veggie pasta recipes next:
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Easy Pesto Pasta
- Pasta Primavera
- Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Lentil Pasta
- Cauliflower Pasta
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Or any of these 25 Easy Pasta Recipes!
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers*, drained (about 7 peppers, 2 cups sliced)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, about 3 tablespoons chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus shavings for serving
- Pine nuts, for serving
- Red pepper flakes, for serving
Instructions
- In a blender, place the red peppers, almond milk, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, and salt. Blend until creamy.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, approximately 3 to 5 minutes shy of al dente. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add the sauce. Stir in the pasta. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the pasta is al dente. Add the grated Parmesan and stir until it melts into the sauce. Remove from the heat.
- Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice as desired. Top with basil, Parmesan shavings, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes and serve.
I prefer using sun dried tomatoes, not packed in oil. Would that be an acceptable substitution?
Hi Lana, sure! I would soak them in water for 5 minutes and then drain before blending them into the sauce. It will soften them and make them easier to blend.
Thank you, Phoebe! Can’t wait to make this!
Simple to make and absolutely delicious. Thanks Phoebe
So easy and delcious!
This is really good recipe, I love making pasta but this is different and looks very tasty.
Could you sub the almond milk for oat milk without affecting the flavor? I can’t eat almonds or almond milk. Could I also sub the Parmesan cheese for vegan parmesan cheese?
Hi Jan, I think oat milk would be fine, but we haven’t tried it. You can use our vegan parmesan recipe, but I would just sprinkle it on at the end since it won’t melt like real parmesan.