Pasta night gets yummier with this homemade roasted red pepper pasta sauce. It is filled with rustic flavors from roasted red bell peppers, onions, garlic, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Vegan and gluten-free sauce recipe that you can make in advance.
There is something really good about roasted vegetables. I can have a bowl of it every day without complaining. No doubt that this Vegan Pasta Primavera with roasted vegetables is a family favorite.
I am really excited about sharing this sauce recipe with you. Though it is homemade, it is effortless. It has simple ingredients and is not as tart as the store-bought pasta sauce. I have been making it for a while now with red peppers, garlic, and onion alone. This time I happen to add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and fresh parsley to it and omg the taste just rocketed sky-high.
It is so good that I ate a couple of spoons right out of the processor. So robust, rustic, and flavorful. You may think roasting is time-consuming. But honestly, it requires just 5 minutes of your prep time. Once it is in the oven there is no need to be around. I just set on the timer and let the oven do its job.
Once it is done, I cool it and finally blitz it in a blender or food processor. A delicious sauce is ready to go on your pasta. But why only pasta, I recommend this roasted bell pepper sauce on your pizza, as a dip or even tossing your favorite grain like quinoa or rice. This sauce is fantastic on roasted potatoes too.
Ingredient for roasted red pepper pasta sauce
Red bell peppers – No swaps here. Imparts sweet taste to the pasta sauce.
Onions & Garlic are a must for a flavorful sauce
Fire Roasted Tomatoes – Gives a good rustic kick to the sauce. You may roast fresh tomatoes with the peppers. Totally works!
Fresh Parsley – Using fresh herbs amplifies the taste of the sauce. Basil is a good choice as well.
Red chili flakes – I love a little heat in my pasta. Skip it if you are not a fan.
Dried herbs, salt, and pepper – I call them flavor bombs. I use this combo in every pasta dish.
Method to make roasted red pepper sauce at home
Preheat the oven at 400 deg F/ 200 deg C.
Brush 1 tablespoon oil with peppers, onion, and garlic.
Then Sprinkle some salt and coat it well.
Bake it on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until the peppers form black blisters on top.
Once done take it out of the oven and cover it with a dishcloth.
This helps to peel off the skin of the peppers easily.
So once the peppers are lukewarm enough to handle peel off the skin.
For making the sauce
Add these roasted veggies to a food processor or a blender along with the fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh parsley, dried herb blend, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
Then blend it until it looks like a puree.
Finally, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed.
Cook the pasta in enough water as directed on the package.
Cook until al dente. Do not overcook.
Just before mealtime, heat up oil in a pan, add the sauce and cook for a minute.
Add in the pasta and parmesan cheese.
Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of cheese and chopped herbs.
How to make this recipe in an Instant Pot?
On days when I am really pressed on time, I make pasta in my Instant Pot.
This is what you need to do –
- Add pasta to the Instant Pot
- Switch on the IP on saute mode.
- Add in the water to the pasta level only. Trust me!
- Add in a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and a splash of olive oil.
- Top it with prepared roasted pepper sauce.
- Do not stir.
- Put on the IP lid and set it MANUAL HIGH 4 minutes.
- Turn the black knob to sealing.
- After the IP beeps wait for a minute and then carefully do QUICK RELEASE towards venting.
- Place a dishcloth on the knob and then perform a quick release.
- Next when the pin drops carefully open the IP lid.
- You may see some water still in the pot. Don’t worry it will be soaked by the pasta in no time creating a nice thick sauce.
- Stir in Parmesan and chili flakes if desired.
Important notes to consider while making pasta in an Instant Pot
- Use the desired shape of pasta. Spaghetti works well too.
- Always cook pasta for a minute less than half the time mentioned on the package.
- If says 10 minutes to al dente, then cook it for 10-5-1 = 4 minutes.
- I have not tried gluten-free pasta in an Instant Pot yet.
- Always place a kitchen towel or a dishcloth over the black knob before releasing it. This is done to avoid any liquid to splatter out of the Instant Pot.
Important tips to make great tasting Roasted pepper sauce
Use only red bell peppers.
Do not overcook the pasta.
Always toss pasta with the sauce just before serving it.
Storing roasted pepper pasta sauce
This sauce stays well in the fridge for 3 days.
Make a big batch and freeze it up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container.
Zingy Roasted Pepper sauce is for all ages.
- The sauce is vegan and gluten-free.
- Make a large batch and freeze for easy use.
- Goes on everything – from pasta to roasted potatoes!
Serving Suggestions
This pasta pairs well with a side of warm garlic bread or a small salad. You can do a warm salad like this oven-roasted garlic Brussel sprouts. On a cold day, you can add this Vegan Minestrone soup to the menu with this pasta. It is effortless and done under 20 minutes.
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Let’s make Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
For roasting veggies
- 3 large red peppers deseeded and cut into quarters
- 1 onion quartered
- 5-6 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat the veggies
Other ingredients
- 14.5 oz 420 grams Fire roasted tomatoes , only 1 can*
- ¼ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
- Couple twists of black pepper
- Salt to taste
For the Pasta
- 2 cups uncooked Penne pasta OR of choice
- Enough water to boil pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil for tossing pasta with sauce
- ½ cup Vegan Parmesan skip if unavailable
Instructions
For Roasting
- Preheat the oven at 400 deg F/ 200 deg C.
- Brush 1 tablespoon oil with peppers, onion, and garlic.
- Sprinkle some salt and coat it will.
- Bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes or until the peppers form black blisters on top.
- Once done take it out of the oven and cover it with a dishcloth.
- This helps to peel off the skin of the peppers easily.
- So once the peppers are lukewarm enough to handle peel off the skin.
For making the sauce
- Add these roasted veggies to a food processor or a blender along with the fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh parsley, dried herb blend, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Blend until it resembles a puree
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Cook the pasta in enough water as directed on the package.
- Cook until al dente. Do not overcook.
- Just before mealtime, heat up oil in a pan, add the sauce and cook for a minute.
- Add in the pasta and parmesan cheese.
- Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of cheese and chopped herbs.
Notes
Possible substitutions
- Swap canned fire-roasted tomatoes for 5 fresh Roma tomatoes or 4 tomatoes on the vine.
- Cut each tomato in 4 pieces and roast them along with the peppers.
- Substitute fresh parsley with basil.
- Vegan parmesan is optional.
- If you consume dairy then use vegetarian Parmesan instead.
Important tips to make great tasting Roasted pepper sauce
- Use pasta of your choice. Gluten-free works great ( Not in the instant pot) !
- Add extra red chili flakes for some heat.
- Use only red bell peppers.
- Do not overcook the pasta.
- Always toss pasta with the sauce just before serving it.
Storing roasted pepper pasta sauce
This sauce stays well in the fridge for 3 days. Make a big batch and freeze it up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container.
Wow… Roasted pepper sauce is my favorite, specially on pasta and pizza too.
Loved the color and texture! Beautiful💕
Thank you, Dhwani! We love it too!