Pasta with Bell Pepper Sauce
Each vibrant spoonful of this amazing sauce delivers nuggets of sweet bell peppers and nuances of oregano and basil. You’ll want this sauce over everything from this day forward.
This bell pepper sauce is so good, you could serve it over anything. In this recipe, we serve it over pasta, but it would be equally stellar over chicken, seafood, steak, pork, rice, and potatoes. You could even use it as a dipping sauce for bread.
Here’s the simple process for making this meal.
- Cook your favorite pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, sauté bell pepper and garlic in olive oil.
- Add oregano and basil.
- Add tomato sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve the sauce over the pasta and top with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs (fresh herbs are optional).
Are you team sauce on top, or pasta stirred in? I’m a proud member of both teams! In this case, I spooned the colorful sauce over the pasta and topped everything with cheese and herbs. You can also fold the cooked pasta into the sauce and serve it that way. There are no rules here.
Pasta with Bell Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice, I used rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving, regular or vegan cheese
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the herbs are fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer the pasta to individual plates or shallow bowls and top with the sauce (or fold the pasta into the sauce and then serve). Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley, if using.