Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce

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!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 308kcal

Author Tania Sheff

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.

Video

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.

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