Roasted red pepper pasta is a creamy, quick, and delicious dish you can make with a handful of ingredients in about 20 minutes.
For more summer pasta recipes, try our creamy tomato pasta, eggplant pasta, macaroni salad, and creamy pasta salad.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This creamy red pepper pasta is all about the thick, silky roasted pepper sauce. It’s simple, full of flavor, and comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta. The sauce blends roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, and olive oil into a velvety mix—no cream needed. It’s so good, Louise eats it with a spoon straight out of the skillet while I’m tossing the pasta.
You can use jarred roasted peppers to save time, or roast your own for deeper, smokier flavor. While the sauce simmers, the pasta cooks, and just like that, dinner’s ready.
This is our go-to homemade red pepper sauce for a quick, cozy meal. It’s pantry-friendly, naturally dairy-free, and perfect for coating any pasta—from rigatoni to linguine. We love it on weeknights when we want something warming but unfussy.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Roasted Red Peppers: Use jarred roasted red peppers for convenience, or roast red bell peppers in the oven (45 minutes) or air fryer (20 minutes) for a more intense flavor—essential for a homemade red pepper sauce.
- Canned Tomatoes: Any type works well—whole peeled, diced, crushed, pureed, San Marzano, or fire-roasted tomatoes all make a great base for a creamy red pepper pasta.
- Almonds: Key to achieving that rich, creamy texture in this healthy red pepper pasta recipe. Substitute with grated parmesan or silken tofu if allergic or avoiding nuts.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor, but garlic powder works in a pinch. For a milder taste, replace with half a yellow onion.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Add heat and depth; swap with cayenne, chili powder, dried chili, smoked paprika, or chipotle powder for a spicy twist.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Optional but adds a velvety finish to your roasted red pepper pasta. Skip for an oil-free version that’s still delicious.
- Salt: Use sea salt or kosher salt to season both the sauce and pasta water generously.
- Pasta: Rigatoni and paccheri are perfect for holding sauce, but penne, fusilli, rotini, spaghetti, and linguine work too—just cook a couple minutes shy of the package time.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh basil adds a Mediterranean touch; substitute with fresh Italian parsley for a similar pop of flavor.
How to Make Red Pepper Pasta
Step 1: Blend the Sauce
Set aside a few pieces of roasted bell pepper and a handful of almonds for garnish later.
Add the rest of the ingredients to a blender: roasted bell peppers (drain them first if using jarred), canned tomatoes, almonds, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and a bit of water.
Blend until the sauce is super smooth. This is the base for your creamy red pepper pasta. If you use a high-speed blender, the sauce will be extra silky. A food processor also works, but the texture will be a little chunkier.
Step 2: Cook Pasta & Sauce
Pour the homemade red pepper sauce into a large skillet. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Cover it with a lid left slightly open—the sauce is thick and might splatter a bit.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your favorite pasta and cook it until very al dente—just a minute or two before it’s fully done.
Before draining the pasta, scoop out one cup of pasta water and save it.
Step 3: Toss Pasta with Sauce
Add the drained pasta directly to the pan with the red pepper sauce.
Toss everything together on medium heat until the pasta is fully coated. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve
Portion and garnish with 1 handful shaved parmesan, chopped almonds, roasted bell pepper strips, 1 handful basil leaves, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. This dish is perfect for a quick weeknight pasta dinner.
Tips
- Use jarred roasted peppers for speed: They’re perfect for busy nights and help you whip up a quick weeknight pasta dinner in no time.
- Roast your own peppers for deeper flavor: If you have time, homemade roasted peppers bring out a richer, smoky taste—ideal for a truly flavorful homemade red pepper sauce.
- Blend until super smooth: A high-speed blender gives you the creamiest results. This is key for a luxurious creamy red pepper pasta.
- Simmer the sauce: Don’t skip this step—it deepens the flavor and thickens the sauce just enough to coat the pasta beautifully.
- Cook pasta very al dente: Since it finishes cooking in the sauce, undercooking it slightly helps it absorb more flavor without getting mushy.
- Reserve pasta water: It’s liquid gold for adjusting the sauce’s consistency and helping it stick to the pasta.
- Garnish for crunch and contrast: Save some chopped almonds and roasted peppers to sprinkle on top for extra texture and visual appeal.
- Make it your own: Add protein like fried tofu or white beans, or stir in some greens like spinach for extra nutrients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe is completely dairy-free. Thanks to blended almonds, it’s naturally creamy without any need for dairy, making it a great red pepper pasta without cream option.
Short pasta like rigatoni or penne works best because it holds onto the sauce well. But you can use spaghetti or linguine too—it’s a flexible recipe.
Absolutely. You can make the red pepper pasta sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for 3–4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
If you’re allergic or just out of almonds, try silken tofu for a creamy texture, ricotta or grated parmesan for a cheesy twist.
Yes! Just reduce or omit the red pepper flakes to make it more kid-friendly.
Definitely. You can mix in cooked white beans, tofu, or even lentils to turn this into a more filling meal.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Hummus Pasta
- Pasta Pomodoro
- Broccoli Pasta
- Kale Pasta
- Miso Pasta
- Zucchini Pasta
- Tofu Pasta
- Pasta Primavera
If you tried this Red Pepper Pasta or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta any
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers jarred or homemade
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz / 400 g
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup almonds
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 handful basil leaves
- 1 handful shaved parmesan optional, for garnish and an extra pop of flavor
Instructions
- Blend the Sauce: Blend 12 ounces roasted red peppers, 1 can diced tomatoes, ¾ cup almonds, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 clove garlic, 1 cup water, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes until smooth.
- Cook Sauce & Pasta: Transfer sauce to a large skillet and simmer for 10 minutes.Cover skillet with a slightly open lid; the sauce is thick and will sputter. Taste and adjust for salt.Cook 12 ounces pasta in salted boiling water as per package instructions minus 2 minutes.
- Toss Pasta With Sauce: Reserve one 1 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss on medium heat until fully coated, adding some reserved pasta water if necessary.
- Garnish and Serve: Portion and garnish with 1 handful shaved parmesan, chopped almonds, roasted bell pepper strips, 1 handful basil leaves, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Video
Notes
- Roasted Red Peppers: Use jarred for ease, or roast fresh for a smokier homemade red pepper sauce.
- Canned Tomatoes: Any kind works—diced, crushed, San Marzano, even fire-roasted.
- Almonds: Blend for a rich, creamy red pepper pasta; swap with parmesan or silken tofu if needed.
- Garlic: Fresh is best, but garlic powder or half an onion also work.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Add heat; substitute with chili powder, smoked paprika, or chipotle.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Optional, but gives a velvety finish—great for texture.
- Salt: Season pasta water and sauce with sea or kosher salt.
- Pasta: Rigatoni and paccheri hold sauce well; other shapes like penne or spaghetti are fine too.
- Fresh Herbs: Basil is classic; parsley adds a bright, fresh flavor.
- Use jarred peppers for speed: Perfect for busy nights and quick weeknight pasta dinners.
- Roast your own for flavor: Brings a smoky depth to your homemade red pepper sauce.
- Blend until smooth: A high-speed blender makes the creamiest red pepper pasta.
- Simmer the sauce: Builds flavor and thickens it to cling to the pasta.
- Cook pasta very al dente: It finishes cooking in the sauce for better texture.
- Save pasta water: Helps loosen the sauce and make it silky.
- Garnish for crunch: Top with almonds and peppers for contrast.
- Customize it: Add tofu, beans, or greens like spinach to bulk it up.
Nutrition
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Love, love, love it!!
I’m not star-rating this because I modified the recipe: I made this using 3 bell peppers, as mentioned as a substitute to using the jarred kind. I roasted them in the air frier as directed on the linked page. But after peeling them, it only came out to about 9 oz. I decided to proceed anyway. I made the recipe with 6 oz silken tofu (instead of the recommended 12 oz) and omitted almonds and water. It turned out pretty good. I think next time I’ll add some nutritional yeast, but I think it’s good even without it. I think a pound of pasta would be OK too (since in the US the boxes come in 1 lb sizes). My boyfriend (who makes gagging motions at the mention of tofu) liked it so maybe other tofu-averse people could get behind it.