This spicy roasted red pepper rigatoni pasta is a delicious weeknight meal. It’s made with jarred roasted peppers, cashew cream, and a few other simple seasonings.
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni
Pasta has always been a pantry staple in my house. It’s an affordable and nutritious carb to keep around for simple weeknight meals.
This spicy roasted red pepper rigatoni is both comforting and nourishing, and comes together so easily. The sauce is a blend of roasted red peppers, cashew cream, red pepper flakes, and a few aromatics.
I love serving this dish with a side salad for additional greens, and a baked piece of salmon for some protein.
The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and mixed it into your cooked pasta when you’re ready to serve it. When rewarming, I recommend adding a little bit of water or plant-based milk to add a little extra creaminess when reheating.
How to make roasted red pepper pasta
Boil your pasta: I love rigatoni or penne for this recipe, and always cook my pasta al dente for the best texture in my go-to stainless steel pot.
Make your sauce: for the spicy roasted red pepper sauce, you’ll need:
- jarred roasted red peppers
- raw cashews
- almond milk
- pasta water
- olive oil
- garlic and shallots
- a few simple spices
Cook your onions and garlic: before mixing together the sauce and pasta, you’ll saute chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until they’re fragrant. This adds such a delicious flavor to the sauce!
Let the sauce simmer: once the garlic and onions are fragrant, add in the blended roasted pepper sauce, the pasta water and the cashew cream to let the sauce cook down
Mix the pasta into the sauce: Mix your creamy pasta sauce with your cooked pasta and enjoy!
This rigatoni has the perfect kick of spice, and the dairy-free cashew cream keeps it light and fresh. It’s the perfect summer meal!
I can’t wait for you guys to try it 🙂
Other pasta recipes you’ll love:
Easy Pasta Salad
Lemon Pasta with Roasted Asparagus
Vegan Pesto Pasta
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta, I used Barilla rigatoni
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh basil, to top
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- 16 oz jar of roasted red peppers, liquid drained
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about 10-12 minutes, until its al dente.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- While the pasta boils, blend the raw cashews and almond milk in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
- Rinse out the blender then add in the roasted red pepper sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend the cashews and almond milk with the roasted red pepper sauce and skip step 3.
- Heat a large pan with the 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium/low heat, and add in the diced shallot and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the roasted red pepper sauce into the pan with the reserved pasta water. Stir for 1-2 minutes until well combined.
- Pour in the cashew cream and mix well. Let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes until it thickens. Adjust the salt and spice level to your liking.
- Once the sauce is thickened, add in your cooked pasta and toss together until the pasta is fully coated.
- Top with fresh basil and enjoy!
- Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for 5-6 days. If needed, you can add a little water or plant-based milk when reheating to add creaminess.
We have a nut allergy in the family. Is there a nut-free substitute for the cashews and almond milk?
You can try 1/2 cup ricotta and 1/2 cup of dairy milk instead! I’m not sure of any dairy-free substitutes that are nut-free