If you feel that you're stuck in the same groove when it comes to an easily made pasta dish, you will love this Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta. We make a vibrantly flavoured sauce by blending roasted red peppers with cream, onion, garlic, herbs and some lemon to boost the flavours. To this, we add olives and finish the sauce with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. It is pure comfort food, full of flavour and certain to become a family favourite.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It is quickly and easily made from ingredients that are readily available.
- This easy dinner is family-friendly.
- There is a perfect blend of vibrant flavours.
- It is a comforting, satisfying dish.
- By using the appropriate pasta, you can have a gluten-free meal.
Recipe Inspiration: my homemade Roasted Red Peppers (Capsicum) are extremely versatile, and I am always looking for more ways to use them. We have used the basic recipe to make our Roasted Red Pepper Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Soup and for this creamy pasta sauce, which is one of our favourite easily made recipes.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Pasta: we love to use fusilli or gemelli; short, spiral pasta. Use a pasta you enjoy eating, or also swap for a gluten-free option.
- Roasted red peppers: I have used my homemade peppers, but you can used jarred if you prefer, just be sure to drain them very well. They will be more acidic than the homemade variety so the flavours may need to be adjusted accordingly.
- Extra virgin olive oil: for the best flavour, we use this oil from the first pressing of the olives. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Garlic: we use fresh garlic; the flavour is better than prepared varieties.
- Tomato paste: this thick, highly concentrated paste, adds rich flavour and colour.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed juice highlights and balances the flavours.
- Heavy/thickened cream: this is cream with a minimum milk fat content of 35%.
- Dried oregano: this is a very versatile Mediterranean herb that we use in many dishes.
- Red chilli pepper flakes: add a gentle warmth; increase the amount if you like a spicy sauce.
- Kalamata olives: these are large, oval, purple-black olives that originated in Greece. They add a salty element, which complements the sweetness of the peppers.
- Pasta water: this is one of the secrets to making a creamy, well amalgamated pasta dish. Don't drain the pasta before saving some.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper: it is essential that your food is adequately seasoned or there is the risk that it will be bland.
- Basil leaves and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese: we add these as we are serving the dish and this way, the warmth of the sauce releases the oils in the fragrant basil, making the pasta extremely tantalising.
Variations:
Pasta: I like a short pasta such as fusilli or penne. If using penne, I suggest penne rigate (which means "ridged". The surface of the penne has ridges that help the sauce adhere. You could also use a long pasta such as linguine or spaghetti if you prefer.
Cheese: we have used Parmigiano Reggiano, but Grana Padano is a good substitute, it has excellent flavour.
How To Make Creamy Red Pepper Pasta:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Sauté the onion, garlic and tomato paste:
Put a large saucepan of water on the stove and bring to the boil. Once boiling, salt your water.
In a large frying pan, over medium heat, add the onion and sauté. Add the garlic and sauté.
Push the onion mix to the side of the frying pan to create a "hot spot" for the tomato paste, and cook this, before mixing in with the onion and garlic. Turn off the heat.
2 - Blend the mixture:
Add the roasted capsicums, lemon juice and onion mixture to a small food processor and process until smooth.
Meanwhile, put your pasta on to cook until just al dente.
3 - Add the cream to the sauce:
Return the capsicum mixture to the frying pan and turn the heat onto medium. Stir through the cream, oregano and chilli. Season with salt and pepper.
4 - Stir through the pasta:
Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the olives and cooked pasta and a little pasta water until you get the right consistency.
Serve with finely chopped fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
Hint: always save the Parmesan rinds, they can be used to add flavour to many dishes, such as soups, stews, risotto or, as here, pasta sauce. Store them in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. The rind doesn't melt into the pasta sauce, but it does soften and can be removed prior to serving.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
The pasta is best eaten freshly cooked, however, the sauce can be prepared in advance and gently reheated.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. The pasta can be reheated in the microwave or gently in a frying pan. You may need to add a small amount of water. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
This dish works perfectly using gluten-free pasta. Like all pasta, be sure to only cook it until al dente for the best texture.
It means be careful to not overcook the pasta. It should be cooked until just "al dente", which translates as "to the tooth". At this stage, the pasta is still slightly firm and will finish cooking when combined with the sauce.
The pasta water may look uninspiring, but it holds the key to a great plate of pasta. It contains salt and starch from the cooked pasta. When you add the cooked pasta to the sauce, along with some of the reserved pasta water, it acts as a thickening agent and emulsifies with the cream, creating a silky, luxurious sauce which clings to the pasta. This is the Italian way.
Top Tip:
I recommend that you take a tip from professional kitchens and have all your ingredients and utensils prepared before you start cooking. This is "mise en place", a French term which means "everything in its place". The cooking process will be smoother and quicker.
Serving Suggestions:
This Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta is ideal for any occasion, whether it's for busy weeknights or for a relaxed meal with friends.
We like to serve it with:
- Crusty bread or our No-Knead Spelt Focaccia
- A simple green salad or our Rocket and Pear Salad
- Roast Chicken - they go so well together.
This pasta recipe is full of flavour and simple to prepare. I hope you'll enjoy it and it will become a family favourite for you, as it is in our household.
Alex xx
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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 340 g (12 ounces) dried fusilli pasta See Note 1
- 1 cup roasted red peppers/capsicums - roughly chopped - about two large peppers See Note 2
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil See Note 3
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion - finely chopped
- 3 large cloves of garlic - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice - add to taste See Note 4
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 5
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes - or to taste
- ½ cup (90 g) Kalamata olives - pitted and cut into three pieces
- 1 cup pasta water - reserve before draining pasta - you may not need to use it all See Note 6
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - finely chopped
- sea salt and pepper - to taste, if necessary See Note 7
- Parmesan cheese - for serving
Instructions
- Put a large saucepan of water on the stove and bring to the boil. Once boiling, salt your water.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium and add the onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is cooked and a light golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 1 minute.
- Push the onion mix to the side to create a "hot spot" for the tomato paste, and cook this out for 2 minutes, before mixing in with the onion and garlic. Turn off the heat.
- To a small food processor, add the roasted peppers/capsicums, lemon juice and onion mixture. Process until smooth.
- Meanwhile, add your pasta to your boiling water, stirring regularly ensuring it does not stick together. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve some pasta water.
- Add the peppers/capsicum mixture back to your frying pan and turn the heat onto medium. Stir through the cream, oregano and chilli. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the olives, the cooked pasta and a little pasta water at a time to bring the sauce together.
- Check that the seasoning is to your liking. Serve with chopped fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Pasta: I like a short pasta with this sauce such as fusilli, gemelli or penne. If using penne, I suggest penne rigate (which means "ridged"). The surface of the penne has ridges that help the sauce adhere. You could also use a long pasta such as linguine or spaghetti if you prefer.
- Roasted red peppers/capsicums: I have used my homemade roasted peppers, but you can used jarred if you prefer, just be sure to drain them very well. They will be more acidic than the homemade variety so I recommend that you add the lemon juice gradually as you may not need as much. If roasting your own, you'll need two large peppers.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Lemon juice: add to taste, depending on the acidity of your roasted peppers. As noted above, if using jarred, they will be more acidic than homemade.
- Thickened cream: also known as heavy cream or whipping cream, it has a minimum milk fat content of 35%.
- Pasta water: before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce out.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking - we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add more red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
- Make this gluten-free: simply use a good quality gluten-free pasta. Gluten-free pasta absorbs more moisture than regular pasta, so you may find you need to add plenty of pasta water.
- Storage: the pasta is best when eaten freshly cooked. However, if you have any leftovers, store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: the pasta can be reheated in the microwave or gently in a frying pan. You may need to add a small amount of water.
- Freezing: this recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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