Description
This Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta recipe delivers a creamy, flavorful, plant-based dinner option that’s ready in just 25 minutes. Featuring a luscious blend of roasted red peppers, garlic, cashews, and Italian seasoning, this sauce is blended to smooth perfection and tossed with perfectly cooked pasta. Garnished with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan, it’s a satisfying and vibrant dish suitable for vegan diets and anyone looking for a wholesome, delicious meal.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 oz pasta of choice (such as penne)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (12–15 oz jar)
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to make it spicy)
For Serving
- Fresh parsley, for serving
- Vegan parmesan, for serving
- Red pepper flakes, for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but slightly undercook by about 1 minute to ensure it finishes cooking when mixed with the sauce. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water, then set aside.
- Cook onions, garlic, and peppers: Warm a pan over medium-low heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped roasted red peppers for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until softened and fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Create sauce: In a blender, combine the sautéed onion, garlic, and peppers with vegetable broth, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Transfer the cooked pasta back into the pot or a skillet over medium heat. Pour the blended sauce over the pasta and toss to combine thoroughly. Warm the pasta and sauce together until heated through and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan, and additional red pepper flakes to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy your creamy vegan roasted red pepper pasta!
Notes
- Slightly undercooking the pasta ensures it doesn’t become mushy when combined with the sauce.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes both in the sauce and for serving.
- Raw cashews are essential for the creamy texture; soak them in hot water for 10 minutes if your blender struggles to blend smoothly.
- Use gluten-free pasta if you need to make the dish gluten free.
- This sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
