I’m not lying when I say that this is the creamiest roasted red pepper pasta, dare I say, ever. It’s a beautiful, glossy, fire engine red and is downright simple to make – perfect for a Valentine’s dinner, or really any dinner for that matter.
I’d consider this the cousin of my Mediterranean Chopped Salad featuring your favorite Red Pepper Dressing that went wild over on TikTok last year. I mean, it had the Rachael Ray show calling me to feature on their show a few months later so I knew I was onto some magic. But I just couldn’t help myself; I knew that savory, garlicky dressing had more to bring to the table.
This pasta is a crowd-pleaser: it’s creamy, savory, vegan and gluten-free if you use brown rice pasta like I do here. An added bonus is that you can substitute dairy and protein back into the mix if that’s your style.
So who’s making this?
Watch Me Make My Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
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How To Make My Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Step 1. Bring a large lidded stockpot of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Step 2. Add onion and garlic with ½ tsp salt to skillet and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
Step 3. Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
Step 4. Remove from heat, then add to a high speed blender with roasted red peppers.
Step 5. Blend until very smooth and pour back into the cooking pan, Add in your coconut milk or heavy cream, and stir to combine. Cover and turn heat to low.
Step 6. Add penne to the pot of boiling water and cook for two minutes less than packaged directions require (about 6-8 minutes). You want it to be a bit less than al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
Step 7. Using a slotted spoon, add penne to the pan of sauce. Add ½ of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and stir to combine.
Step 8. Stream in as much of the left over ½ cup of pasta water as needed to give you a nice, saucy pasta. Taste and add salt if it needs it (it depends how heavily salted your pasta cooking water was).
Step 9. Finish with a few cracks of black pepper. Serve pasta topped with fresh basil, if desired.
Step 10. Enjoy!
What Else Can I Use?
- If you don’t care about this pasta being vegan, add some grated parmesan to the sauce to make it even richer.
- You can also replace the coconut milk with heavy cream, if you’d like to use dairy.
- I like Jovial Foods brown rice penne here, but any penne works.
- Elbows or fussili can also be used in place of the penne.
This Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta is special because:
It’s delicious, easy and incredibly satisfying to look at with that glossy, fire engine red!
It’s accomodating to all dietary requirements: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free!
More Pasta?
Creamed Corn Pasta with Zucchini + Basil (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)
Baked Goat Cheese Pasta with Lemon + Crispy Prosciutto (Gluten-Free Friendly)
Spicy Fusilli Pasta with Tomato + Cream (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free Friendly)
Squash Pasta with Sage Lemon Butter
Slow Roasted Tomato + Garlic Pasta
If you make my Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!
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The Creamiest Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 shallots sliced
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
- 2 oz. tomato paste
- 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers drained well
- 1 cup reserved pasta water from cooked pasta pot
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large lidded stockpot of salted water to a boil.
- Adjacent to your stockpot, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add shallots and garlic with ½ tsp salt and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, then add to a high speed blender with roasted red peppers.
- Blend until very smooth and pour back into the cooking pan, add in your coconut milk or heavy cream, and stir to combine. Cover and turn heat to low.
- Add penne to the pot of boiling, generously salted water and cook for two minutes less than packaged directions require (about 6-8 minutes). You want it to be a bit less than al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, add penne to the pan of sauce.
- Add ½ of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Stream in as much of the left over ½ cup of pasta water as needed to give you a nice, saucy pasta. Taste and add salt if it needs it (it depends how heavily salted your pasta cooking water was). Finish with a few cracks of black pepper.
- Serve pasta topped with fresh basil, if desired.
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