This Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce is creamy, full of flavor, and so satisfying. The roasted red peppers in this delicious sauce take a regular pasta night and really level it up!
Some days, you just don't want a regular red sauce on your pasta. When you need a break from the marinara, this recipe is here to save the day. It's full of flavorful roasted red peppers, sauteed onion and garlic, and coconut milk to create a creamy base for this sauce. Some warm pasta, fresh spinach, and a touch of seasoning and you have an amazing dish.
This recipe is vegan, but can also be made gluten-free, low-carb, keto and paleo friendly. It's a healthy and vegetable-focused dish that is tasty and filling, so bring it out for your family and friends and enjoy it for dinner all year long. Let's look at the ingredients you'll need.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need
- Pasta. Use any kind of pasta you like.
- Roasted Peppers. You can roast the peppers yourself or use the store-bought kind.
- Spinach. Adds a nice touch of color and flavor.
- Coconut Milk. Or unsweetened oat creamer.
- Olive Oil. Or another oil of your choice.
- Garlic and Onion. Adds lots of flavor.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
- Red Pepper Flakes. For a touch of heat.
How to make this pasta
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and start cooking the pasta according to the package instructions.
2. In the meantime, using a medium skillet, saute the onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the roasted peppers and the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
4. Now, add the coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Stir everything well and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for 1 minute. (At this point, you might need to drain the pasta and set it on the side. Reserve some pasta water for future use).
5. Turn off the heat and transfer the roasted pepper sauce to a smoothie cup or a blender and puree until smooth. Return the sauce back to the skillet.
6. Now add the spinach, reserved roasted peppers, and the pasta. Stir everything well with the heat on low, just until the spinach had wilted and everything is heated through. Use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce, as necessary.
Tips for the best Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce
- Drain, but do not rinse the pasta. Rinsing pasta removes the starch on the outside that helps the sauce stick to the noodles.
- Reserve some pasta water for the sauce. In the same way, the pasta water is full of starch and adding it to the sauce helps to thicken it and bind the ingredients and the pasta.
- Blend the roasted pepper sauce. By pureeing the roasted pepper sauce, each piece of pasta is coated with the creamy sauce and only small pieces of the peppers remain, balancing the flavors.
- Add the spinach last. Spinach doesn't take long to cook and can easily become mushy and lose its vibrancy. Make sure you add it near the end to avoid overcooking it.
Variations to this recipe
- Use different pasta types. Try this recipe with different types of noodles to keep it fresh and interesting. From cavatelli to fusilli, to longer pasta like spaghetti and linguine, they all work great.
- Make your own roasted peppers. Store-bought roasted red peppers are fine, but why not try roasting your own? They're easy to make and store, and homemade is usually just tastier.
- Make it gluten-free. This Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce can be easily turned into a gluten-free friendly meal by substituting the pasta for any gluten-free noodle you prefer. You could also use zucchini noodles, or "zoodles."
- Add some other vegetables. If you prefer zucchini, tomatoes, or mushrooms, you could saute and add them to the dish to tweak the flavors as you like.
How to Store and Reheat it
You can store this Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When you are ready to reheat it, just microwave the pasta for a minute or two, or place it in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. If the sauce is separate, then just warm it to a simmer on the stovetop before adding the fresh pasta and serving.
What to Serve it with
- On its own. This is perfectly satisfying as is, so grab a fork and enjoy!
- With a salad. Try it with this Tomato and Onion Salad or Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad.
- With soup. It would taste great with this Creamy Vegetable Soup as a starter or side.
- Alongside a vegetable dish. Serve it with your favorite veggies, like these Roasted Tomato Pesto Vegetables or Crunchy Cauliflower Bites.
This Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce is such a delicious and flavorful meal. It's perfect for dinner and leftover sauce can be used for days afterward. I hope you enjoy this yummy pasta dish as much as my family does!
More tasty pasta recipes:
Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta
- 2 oz. baby spinach
- ½ cup chopped roasted peppers
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup chopped roasted peppers
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (or unsweetened plant creamer)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and start cooking the pasta according to the package instructions.
- In the meantime, using a medium skillet, saute the onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted peppers and the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Now, add the coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Stir everything well and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for 1 minute. (At this point, you might need to drain the pasta and set it on the side. Reserve some pasta water for future use).
- Turn off the heat and transfer the roasted pepper sauce to a smoothie cup or a blender and puree until smooth. Return the sauce back to the skillet.
- Now add the spinach, reserved roasted peppers, and the pasta. Stir everything well with the heat on low, just until the spinach had wilted and everything is heated through. Use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce, as necessary.
Notes
Tips for the best Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce
- Drain, but do not rinse the pasta. Rinsing pasta removes the starch on the outside that helps the sauce stick to the noodles.
- Reserve some pasta water for the sauce. In the same way, the pasta water is full of starch and adding it to the sauce helps to thicken it and bind the ingredients and the pasta.
- Blend the roasted pepper sauce. By pureeing the roasted pepper sauce, each piece of pasta is coated with the creamy sauce and only small pieces of the peppers remain, balancing the flavors.
- Add the spinach last. Spinach doesn't take long to cook and can easily become mushy and lose its vibrancy. Make sure you add it near the end to avoid overcooking it.
Variations to this recipe
- Use different pasta types. Try this recipe with different types of noodles to keep it fresh and interesting. From cavatelli to fusilli, to longer pasta like spaghetti and linguine, they all work great.
- Make your own roasted peppers. Store-bought roasted red peppers are fine, but why not try roasting your own? They're easy to make and store, and homemade is usually just tastier.
- Make it gluten-free. This Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce can be easily turned into a gluten-free friendly meal by substituting the pasta for any gluten-free noodle you prefer. You could also use zucchini noodles, or "zoodles."
- Add some other vegetables. If you prefer zucchini, tomatoes, or mushrooms, you could saute and add them to the dish to tweak the flavors as you like.
Fabulous, easy, and super tasty. I highly recommend this dish. My boyfriend said it was restaurant quality!
Yay! I am glad you both enjoyed the recipe, Amy!
Would beef go well in this recipe or any other meat if we are not vegetarian?
Hi Sierra! I think chicken would be best here. Happy cooking!
I love pasta and peppers with a creamy sauce, so couldn't wait to try this. It was absolutely delicious! I'm not known for my cooking skills so this really did surprise everyone. Thanks to this website, I have found my motivation to start cooking properly again instead of just doing the same old pasta dishes. My immediate family are all vegetarian, I want to show them that vegan food is just as good and you are never stuck with things to cook.
I am so glad you found my site, Shelly! Yes, you are right, vegan food doesn't have to taste boring. Best of luck on your food journey!
Just made this for the first time. It was delicious! I added some Italian spices and sautéed mushrooms. I plan to make the sauce in bulk and freeze it. I also hope to make a lasagna with this sauce using a vegan ‘meat’ mixture made from cauliflower/mushrooms.
Sounds great! Thanks, Colleen!