Roasted Red Pepper Pantry Pasta (Print)

Creamy pasta with sweet roasted red peppers, garlic, and parmesan. Ready in 30 minutes using pantry staples.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti)

→ Sauce

02 - 1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small yellow onion, chopped
06 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth or pasta cooking water
08 - 1/4 cup cream cheese or mascarpone
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
12 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Sauté the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Add the drained roasted red peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Transfer the skillet contents to a blender or use an immersion blender in the pan. Add the vegetable broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Blend until smooth and creamy.
05 - Return the blended sauce to the skillet over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat thoroughly in the sauce. Heat for 1-2 minutes until everything is hot. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It turns basic pantry ingredients into something that tastes like it came from an Italian kitchen
  • The sauce comes together faster than delivery would arrive
  • You probably have everything you need right now
02 -
  • That pasta water is liquid gold, dont pour it down the drain or your sauce might end up too thick and clumpy
  • Blend the sauce thoroughly, any chunks of pepper will make the texture feel less luxurious
  • The sauce thickens as it sits, so err on the slightly thinner side when adjusting consistency
03 -
  • If your sauce seems too acidic from the peppers, add an extra pinch of sugar to balance it out
  • Room temperature cream cheese blends more smoothly than cold straight from the fridge
  • Double the sauce portion and freeze half for an even faster meal next time

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