Roasted Red Pepper Pantry Pasta (Printable)

Vibrant, creamy pasta with sweet roasted red peppers and common pantry staples.

# What You 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 Hints:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered for hours
  • Everything can be pulled from your pantry without a special grocery trip
  • That vibrant red color makes everyone think you worked much harder than you actually did
02 -
  • Reserving pasta water is not optional here as the starch helps the sauce cling to every piece of pasta
  • Blend the sauce longer than you think necessary because any chunks will feel strange in the final dish
  • The sauce thickens quickly off the heat so have everything ready before you drain the pasta
03 -
  • Room temperature cream cheese blends much more smoothly than cold straight from the fridge
  • If you have an immersion blender you can skip transferring the sauce and blend right in the pan

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