Description
This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta is a comforting and delicious dish made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Featuring a creamy, dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free roasted red pepper sauce blended with cashews and almond milk, it’s perfect for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounces pasta of choice
Roasted Vegetables
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 large red onion
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¾ – 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk or other milk
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- ¼ cup parmesan or nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Soften Cashews: Add the raw cashews to a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak while you prepare the other ingredients to soften, or alternatively boil them in a pot for about 20 minutes to ensure a creamier sauce.
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) in preparation for roasting the vegetables.
- Prepare Vegetables: Peel the garlic cloves and chop the red onion and red bell peppers into large chunks. Place all chopped vegetables on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Roast Vegetables: Place the prepared vegetables in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes until they are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Cook Pasta: While the vegetables roast, cook your choice of pasta according to package instructions until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Blend Sauce: Once the roasted vegetables are done, transfer them to a high-speed blender. Drain the soaked cashews and add them along with tapioca starch, parmesan or nutritional yeast, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, salt, black pepper, and ¾ cup of almond milk. Blend until completely smooth. Add more almond milk if necessary to reach desired sauce consistency.
- Combine and Serve: Stir the creamy roasted red pepper sauce into the cooked pasta until well combined. Garnish with extra fresh basil if desired, then serve warm.
Notes
- Soaking or boiling cashews helps achieve a smoother, creamier sauce texture.
- Use gluten-free pasta to keep the dish gluten-free.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- For a nut-free alternative, consider using silken tofu instead of cashews.
- Parmesan cheese can be substituted with nutritional yeast to keep the recipe vegan.
