Description
Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Sauce: Rich, velvety sauce made with roasted red peppers, cream, and garlic. Quick, comforting, and crowd-pleasing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz (450g) roasted red peppers, jarred or homemade (about 3–4 large peppers)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 cup/150g), finely diced
- 3–4 garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon/9g), minced
- 1 teaspoon (2g) dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
- ½ teaspoon (1g) red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream or half-and-half
- ¼ cup (25g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Peppers If using jarred roasted red peppers, drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. If roasting your own, place whole peppers under a broiler or on a gas flame, turning occasionally until skin is charred on all sides (about 10-15 minutes). Place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes to steam, then remove charred skin, stems, and seeds.
- Step 2: Sauté Aromatics Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic, dried basil, and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Step 3: Add Peppers Add the roasted red peppers to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps marry the flavors and evaporate any excess moisture from the peppers. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Step 4: Blend the Sauce Transfer the pepper mixture to a blender or food processor. Secure the lid and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. If using a standard blender with hot ingredients, remove the center cap and cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape.
- Step 5: Finish the Sauce Return the blended sauce to the skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer, being careful not to boil. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and incorporated. Finish with lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Step 6: Toss with Pasta For serving, toss with 12oz (340g) of cooked pasta, adding a splash of pasta cooking water to help the sauce cling to the pasta. Garnish with additional Parmesan, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal per serving
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 75mg