Description
Creamy roasted red pepper pasta sauce delivers Mediterranean magic in minutes, blending silky peppers with rich herbs and spices. Luxurious and quick, this sauce invites home cooks to savor authentic Italian-inspired comfort on their dinner plate.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (16 oz / 454 g) jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 12 oz (340 g) cooked pasta of choice
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened plant-based milk or heavy cream
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsps nutritional yeast or grated parmesan (optional, for cheesiness)
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Base: Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, gently caramelize onions until translucent and tender, then introduce minced garlic and briefly toast for maximum flavor infusion.
- Pepper Intensity: Add roasted red peppers and tomato paste, allowing ingredients to meld and develop a rich, concentrated essence through gentle simmering.
- Creamy Transformation: Transfer mixture to blender, incorporating plant milk, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and optional parmesan, blending until achieving a silky, uniform consistency.
- Final Refinement: Return sauce to pan, gently warming over low heat while carefully calibrating seasonings to create a harmonious flavor profile.
- Pasta Integration: Fold sauce into cooked pasta, ensuring each strand is luxuriously coated with the vibrant, velvety sauce.
- Presentation: Plate immediately, garnishing with fresh herbaceous elements for a visually appealing and aromatic finish.
Notes
- Take time to gently cook onions on medium-low heat, allowing natural sugars to develop rich, sweet flavor without burning.
- Choose fire-roasted or home-roasted peppers for deeper smoky undertones, which enhance the sauce’s complexity.
- Use plant milk or cream sparingly to maintain sauce’s vibrant color and prevent diluting the pepper’s intense flavor profile.
- Taste sauce at final stage and incrementally add salt, pepper flakes, or nutritional yeast to achieve perfect balance without overwhelming original roasted pepper essence.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg