Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
This roasted red pepper pasta is made using an incredible range of simple ingredients that are perfect for a weeknight bite. It’s packed with antioxidants, tastes ridiculously creamy, and makes a wonderful leftover lunch for the office. Basically, it’s a total winner for pasta lovers!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 463kcal
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 shallots - roughly chopped
- 1 jar roasted red peppers - 15 oz, drained (note 1)
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews - notes 2 and 3
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- Fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes - adjust to taste
- salt & black pepper - to taste
- Parmesan - optional
Instructions
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet or pan, add the onion, garlic, a pinch of salt, and pepper, and let them roast for a few minutes until golden.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
- Transfer the roasted onions and garlic to a high-powered blender, then add the drained roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, cashews (see note 2 and 3), and almond milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the sauce to the same pan you used to roast the onion and garlic, warm up, add the cooked pasta, add the chopped basil and toss until combined. Serve hot with some extra basil leaves on top, and enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: Look for jarred red peppers with minimal ingredients and with no chemical preservatives or no added sugar! These are good. If you can’t find jarred peppers without any nasty ingredients, you can roast your own.
Roast them directly on the stove skin for a slightly smoky flavor. But I suggest putting them on a prepared baking sheet in the oven and roasting them at 475F (250C) until the skin of the peppers blisters (usually 40 minutes). Then remove the skin and seeds, and follow the recipe.
Note 2: If you don't have a powerful high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot boiling water for 5-10 minutes before blending. Drain them and add them to your blender.
Note 3: If you don't have cashews handy, you can omit them and simply use milk and add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to give your sauce a bit more body.
How to store: Let your pasta cool, and then portion the leftovers into airtight containers for up to 4 days.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate per serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Sugar: 7g