This Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta recipe is made with only 6 ingredients. It's vegan, simple-to-make & customizable with any protein for an easy weeknight meal
If you’re bored of same old marinara red sauce for pasta, it’s time for you to try this creamy roasted red pepper pasta – made with only 6 ingredients! It’s going to rock your world! It’s a creamy, rich and comforting sauce that pairs so well with any pasta of choice. And the best part is that it’s totally vegan without any cream used at all. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and a nice change from marinara!
A creamy vegan red pepper pasta sauce recipe
I love how quick and easy this dish is to make and it’s so creamy, you would never guess that it is vegan! You can use your favorite plant based milk in this recipe such as;
- soy
- hemp
- almond
- cashew
- oat
- rice
If you are not vegan, you can also use dairy milk if you wish.
How do you make roasted red pepper pasta
To start, you’ll roast an onion and a couple garlic cloves. You can leave the garlic in its peel. I recommend peeling the onion though and cutting that in half. Then drizzle both with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You can also roast the red peppers (see tips on that below). But I love the convenience (and price) of the jarred roasted red peppers.
Once the onions and garlic are roasted, add them to a blender along with the drained roasted red peppers. And those 3 ingredients are essentially the sauce. Then you’ll blend, blend blend until it’s as smooth as it gets without any chunky parts.
Transfer that roasted red pepper sauce to a pan. And once it starts to bubble, you can add any milk of choice. I tried to keep this recipe vegan by using plant-based milk, but any milk will work here.
Once you whisk the milk into the roasted red pepper sauce, you’ll see a beautiful orange color and creamy texture come through. And that’s pretty much it! Now just toss in the pasta and it’s ready to be served!
It may sound like a bit of work to roast the onions and garlic and blend it all up with the roasted peppers. But the roasting part is totally inactive cooking time, and the blending only takes a minute. And in the end you get a mouth-watering healthy roasted red pepper sauce that has this unique sweet and savory taste. The wonderful thing is it’s a totally customizable sauce that you can toss with any pasta or any protein along with your favorite vegetables and add-ons.
Tips to make roasted red pepper pasta
- If you prefer to roast the peppers, just place them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until they get charred. You can roast them whole without removing the seeds. Then, transfer them to a glass container, cover them with saran wrap for 15-20 minutes so the steam continues to cook and soften them. This is a wonderful method for roasting your own bell peppers which results in an amazing sweet and smoky flavor!
- If you want to make this meal gluten-free or low-carb, try using spiralized vegetables like zucchini, or even spaghetti squash and toss it with the sauce. You’ll have all the flavor and comfort of this sauce with less carbohydrates and calories.
- If you’d like to modify the flavor of the sauce, you can consider adding some crushed red peppers for some heat, some Italian seasoning for more savory flavor, or even some nuts like cashews to give it a more nutty and cheesy flavor. Think of the roasted red peppers, onions and garlic as the base for the sauce. And feel free to add on your unique twist to the sauce and to the final dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use different color peppers in this past dish?
Personally, red peppers are my favorite color to use in this recipe, and they are usually the easiest ones to find in stores. You can absolutely use orange or yellow peppers if you wish – it doesn’t take long to roast them yourself!
What’s the best pasta to use?
I like making this dish with a long pasta such as linguine or spaghetti, but you can of course use whatever you have to hand. You can use whole wheat pasta too if you wish for a meal with added fiber and whole grains.
Is it healthier to make your own pasta sauce?
It’s so much healthier (and cheaper) to make your own pasta sauce and it takes no time at all! The jarred sauces you buy are convenient, but they tend to be loaded with salt and sugar as well as preservatives. Making your own pasta sauce is a much healthier option for the whole family.
It’s a solid 10 out of 10 meal for us every time! You’re going to feel so good too after eating it because the sauce is basically blended vegetables watered down with milk. We can pretty much say it’s a salad right?! Haha, just kidding, but you get the gist. It’s a very healthy winning sauce that I hope you’ll try, and make again and again!
For more vegan pasta recipes, check out:
- Hummus Pasta
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Pumpkin Pasta
- Cauliflower Alfredo
- Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
- One Pan Pasta
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feelgood Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
I created this blog post first on June 19, 2017. I am updating it today to include improved new step-by-step images and a video tutorial!
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 small onion cut in half
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 ounces spaghetti or pasta or choice
- 1 15 ounces jar 15.5 oz roasted red peppers drained
- 1/2 cup milk
- Fresh chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place cut onions and garlic cloves on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until tender and cut surface of the onion is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
- When cooked, transfer the onions and garlic to a food processor. Add the drained roasted red peppers and blend until everything is evenly combined and smooth. Set aside.
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions.
- Transfer the pureed sauce to a large skillet and cook for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add milk to the skillet to thin out the pasta sauce. Whisk to combine.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss to combine the pasta with the sauce to combine
- Serve with fresh parsley, if desired.
