Sweet roasted peppers blend into a rich and silky sauce with Mediterranean flair that coats the pasta to perfection. Red pepper pasta is simple enough for a quick weeknight dinner and impressive enough for guests. We developed it so that you can prepare the sauce while the pasta cooks, making it an excellent weeknight dinner. As you’ve seen in our other 40+ easy pasta recipes (think Pasta alla norma, broccoli pasta, lentil bolognese, creamy tomato pasta, and butternut squash pasta), we love simple pasta meals where a vegetable is the star of the show. This red pepper pasta stands out for its simplicity, creaminess, and rich yet balanced flavor. If you follow our garnishing tips, you can turn this easy weeknight dinner into a restaurant-worthy meal that’s sure to become your new favorite.
Roasted Red Peppers
You can use jarred roasted red peppers if you are short on time. Alternatively, roast three red bell peppers in the oven (45 minutes) or the air-fryer (20 minutes). Here’s how to roast bell peppers, should you need guidance.
Canned Tomatoes
You can use any canned tomatoes, such as whole peeled tomatoes, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, and pureed tomatoes.
Almonds
Almonds are a crucial ingredient to make the creamiest red pepper pasta sauce. They add a nutty flavor and healthy fats and protein. Most importantly, when blended, almonds provide a rich and creamy texture that helps the sauce coat the pasta perfectly. If you are allergic to almonds, replace them with grated parmesan cheese or a 12-ounce (350 grams) block of silken tofu.
Garlic
We recommend fresh garlic, but you can substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic. If you don’t like garlic, you can replace it with half an onion.
Red pepper flakes
We add a small amount of red pepper flakes to make the sauce a little spicy. You can substitute cayenne, chili powder, dried chili, and even a bit of chipotle powder (that would add some smokiness to the sauce) or smoked paprika for red pepper flakes.
Olive oil
Olive oil is optional. We like to add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the sauce to add a velvety mouthfeel, but this dish is also delicious without the oil.
Salt
We use sea salt or kosher salt for the sauce and the pasta water.
Pasta
Rigatoni and paccheri are our pasta of choice for this recipe because they get filled with red pepper sauce and because they have a nice bite. You can use any other short or long pasta shape, such as penne, fusilli, rotini, conchiglie, spaghetti, linguine, and more. We recommend cooking the pasta according to the package directions, minus a couple of minutes, so you can finish cooking it in the pot with the sauce.
Fresh herbs
We recommend fresh basil. Substitute fresh Italian parsley for basil. To a blender, add roasted bell peppers (if using jarred, drain them first), canned tomatoes, almonds, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and water. Blend until you reach a smooth texture. Tip: A high-speed blender makes the smoothest and creamiest sauce. A food processor produces a coarser sauce. Transfer the red pepper sauce to a large skillet and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Cover your skillet with a slightly open lid; the sauce is thick and will sputter.
2. Boil and toss the pasta
While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water. Cook it very al dente, then reserve one cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce on medium heat until fully coated. If necessary, stir in some of the reserved pasta water. Serve hot.
Serving suggestions
To make a gorgeous meal, garnish this red pepper pasta with shaved parmesan, chopped toasted almonds, roasted bell pepper strips, fresh basil leaves, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The recipe is nutritious and deeply satisfying. You won’t need much else next to it. If you do, we recommend an Italian salad, tomato-cucumber salad, artichoke salad, or fennel-orange salad. You can also add some roasted cauliflower, air-fried cauliflower, roasted eggplant, or air-fried eggplant. Refrigerator: Keep red pepper pasta leftovers in an airtight container for 48 hours. Reheat: In the microwave for just a minute or on a pan with a splash of water.
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