Creamy Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Tender tubes of pasta is a creamy, garlicky roasted red pepper sauce. Super easy to make, requires a handful of ingredients, and ready in about 20 minutes.
I’m so excited about this pasta recipe! The sauce is rich and thick and perfectly balances the smokiness and tang of the peppers with the butteriness of the cream.
This ingredient list is super short too. You just need onion, garlic, jarred roasted red peppers, and cream for the sauce. Then just pasta, cheese, and parsley (which is optional) to pull it all together!
You can use gluten-free pasta for this dish. In fact, I used gluten-free pasta made with lupini beans! It cooked up perfectly in just 6 minutes; about the time it takes for the sauce to come together!
What type of roasted red peppers should you use?
Very simply – the ones in jars! They’re water-packed so you just need to drain, chop, simmer. As the peppers cook, they soften and the liquid reduces, creating a thick, robust sauce.
You can use heavy cream or half-and-half for this recipe. I actually used half-and-half and it was perfectly rich. For a richer sauce experience, use heavy cream.
Creamy Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta of choice, regular or gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, any color
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups diced roasted red peppers
- 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley for serving, optional
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 heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds. Add the roasted red peppers and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Fold in the cream and heat through. Fold in the cooked pasta.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Top with parmesan cheese and parsley, if using, and serve.