This creamy capsicum pasta is quick, packed with vitamin C, and delicious! Tangy, silky, earthy and vegan-friendly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I feel like once you try this sauce, it’s going to be one of those recipes you just know by heart. Full recipe card with all the details is down at the bottom, so scroll down when you’re ready:
- red peppers (capsicum)
- brown onion
- garlic cloves
- olive oil
- raw cashews
- nutritional yeast
- unsweetened plant-based milk (I usually go for soy)
- miso paste
- fresh basil
- tomato paste
- rigatoni (or any pasta you love)
- fresh basil leaves
- dried chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
Follow along with this step-by-step guide to make your Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce. You’ll find all the exact times, temperatures, and measurements in the recipe card below.
Step one: Pop the onion, capsicum, and whole garlic cloves on a tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season well, and roast until soft and a bit charred around the edges.
Step two: Once the veggies are done, wrap the hot capsicums in foil and let them steam for about 10 minutes—this makes them easier to peel. Then peel off the skins, remove the seeds and stems, and take the garlic out of its skin.
Step three: Add everything to your blender—the roasted veggies, boiled cashews, and the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth. Taste and season. Add more milk if you want it a bit looser.
Step four: Blend until smooth. Taste and season. Add more milk if you want it a bit looser.
Step five: Pour the sauce over your cooked pasta and mix it all together so it’s nicely coated. Finish with fresh basil and chilli flakes if you like a little heat.
Serving Suggestions & More Recipes
If you loved this, you’re going to love:
- Truffle & White Wine Pasta – rich and creamy, loaded with savory garlicky mushrooms, and a splash of white wine that gives it a fresh, lively twist.
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper (Capsicum) Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- High powered blender
Ingredients
- 2 whole red bell peppers medium; approx. 285g total
- 1 whole yellow onion quartered; approx. 150g
- 4 cloves garlic leave skins on for roasting
- 1 tbsp olive oil approx. 14g
- ½ cup raw cashews approx. 57g; soaked overnight or boiled for blending
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast approx. 15g
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk or other plant-based milk; approx. 180g
- 1½ tbsp white miso paste approx. 30g
- ¼ bunch fresh basil approx. ½ cup packed or 10g
- 2 tbsp tomato paste approx. 29g
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta cooked according to package; approx. 454g
- salt for seasoning
- black pepper for seasoning
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
- crushed red pepper flakes for garnish; optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the quartered onion, whole bell peppers, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and slightly charred on the edges.
- While the vegetables roast, place cashews in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak cashews overnight or boil for 25 minutes instead for a smoother sauce.
- Remove the roasted peppers from the oven and wrap them in foil (or place in a covered bowl). Let them steam for 10 minutes—this makes the skins easier to remove. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, discard the stems and seeds, and roughly chop. Peel the garlic cloves.
- In a high-powered blender, combine the peeled peppers, garlic, onion, softened cashews, nutritional yeast, plant milk, miso paste, basil, and tomato paste. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add a splash more milk if you’d like a thinner consistency.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Serve warm.
Janet k. says
Love – will repeat
Umair says
Tasty and easy to make, big thumbs up!
Umair says
Effortless and fantastic.
sarah says
Truly delightful.
Hong Nguyen says
Seriously, this was amazing.
Meegan says
This was a delicious sauce my daughter and I made for dinner last night – I had it over chicken breast and greens while the rest of the family had chicken and pasta – a very versatile, easy to make and flavourful sauce!
Liz Douglas says
love that you cooked it together!! the sauce is sooo tasty over pretty much anything 🙂