Creamy Roasted Red Pepper (Capsicum) Pasta Sauce
This creamy bell pepper pasta is quick, packed with vitamin C, and totally delicious—tangy, silky, earthy, and completely vegan-friendly!
Servings 4 serves
Calories 349kcal
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.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg