This red pepper pasta is made with the absolute best no-tomato pasta sauce. It is a weeknight-friendly vegan pasta dish for busy people.
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Pasta sauce without tomatoes
It is bright red, super creamy and extremely flavorful BUT it is not tomato sauce. You guessed it! It's a roasted red pepper sauce that you can serve with any type of pasta. The addition of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little sugar for caramelization make it extra tasty.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Making pasta sauce has never been so easy: this red pepper pasta sauce is made super effortlessly by simply roasting peppers in the oven and blending them into a creamy sauce.
- This red pepper sauce is entirely dairy free and vegan.
- The pasta sauce is made without tomatoes: whether you don't eat tomatoes because of digestive issues, because you're allergic or because you simply don't like them, this tomato sauce is for you! And if you love eating tomatoes, you might still wanna give this sauce a try in order to switch things up and try a new recipe that is loaded with veggies.
Step by step with pictures
Roast the red peppers. Cut the bell peppers into quarters and remove the seeds. Place them on a sheet pan or in a large baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle some sugar and sea salt on top and toss. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until soft.
Tip for better digestion: If you sometimes experience digestive discomfort after eating bell peppers, you can remove the skins before blending. They should come right off once the bell peppers are roasted. Let the red peppers cool off for a few minutes to avoid burning yourself.
Make the roasted red pepper sauce. Add the roasted red peppers, garlic and onions to the bowl of a blender and blend until smooth.
Quick tip: it is not recommended to blend hot foods in a blender as pressure can build up and the lid could blow off. To let the steam escape, unscrew the top part of the lid and start blending on low to avoid splashes. Otherwise, use a stick blender.
Cook the pasta. Bring water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Finally, toss the pasta in the sauce. Top with sliced almonds if desired.
Time-saving tip
Instead of roasting the red peppers yourself, you could use roasted red peppers from the jar. Simply blend them with balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic and onion powder until you obtain a smooth roasted pepper sauce.
Storage and freezing tips
If you have some leftover roasted red pepper sauce, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
More vegan pasta dishes
- Gnocchi with zucchini pesto
- The best tomato sauce (made from canned tomatoes)
- Pasta with vegan lentil bolognese
- Vegan artichoke pasta bake
The recipe
No-Tomato Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 small red onion
- 3 red bell peppers
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vingear
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1-2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 5.5-7 oz (160-200 g) pasta
- Black pepper
- 1 handful sliced almonds for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Peel the garlic and the onion. Cut the onion into slices and place everything on a sheet pan or in a baking dish.
- Wash the bell peppers. Cut them into quarters and remove the seeds. Spread them out on the sheet pan (on top of the onion and garlic to prevent them from burning). Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and sugar. Roast for 25-30 minutes until soft (see post above for step-by-step pictures).
- In the meantime, bring water to a boil for the pasta. Cook them according to the instructions on the package.
- Once the bell peppers are roasted, add them to the bowl of a blender. If possible, unscrew part of the lid to let the steam escape while blending (see notes). Otherwise use a stick blender. Blend until smooth.
- Drain the pasta and toss them in the sauce. Top with black pepper and sliced almonds if desired.
Notes
- It is not recommended to blend hot foods in a blender as pressure can build up and the lid could blow off. To let the steam escape, unscrew the top part of the lid and start blending on low speed to avoid splashes. Otherwise, use a stick blender.
- If you have some leftover roasted red pepper sauce, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
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