Roasted Red Pepper Pantry Pasta (Printable)

A vibrant and creamy pasta dish made with sweet roasted red peppers and common pantry staples. Perfect for a quick, flavorful vegetarian meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti)

→ Sauce

02 - 1 jar roasted red peppers (12 oz), 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)

# How To Make:

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 Advice:

01 -
  • Uses jarred roasted red peppers so theres zero roasting required
  • The sauce comes together faster than you can cook the pasta
  • Everything might already be sitting in your pantry right now
02 -
  • Reserving pasta water is non-negotiable for adjusting sauce consistency
  • The sauce thickens as it sits so err on the slightly thinner side
  • Blending hot sauce requires caution, vent your blender lid or wait a few minutes
03 -
  • Use the drained liquid from the red pepper jar instead of broth for even more concentrated flavor
  • A squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens the entire dish

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