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A creamy, vegan red pepper pasta is served in a round, white bowl. The bowl rests on a white surface.
5 from 4 votes

20-Minute Smoky Vegan Red Pepper Pasta

Author - Gena Hamshaw
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 16 ounces roasted red bell peppers, with their liquid (450g; 1 16-oz/450g jar, or 2 8-oz/225g jars)
  • salt
  • 12 ounces pasta of choice (340g)
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • cashew parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup/240ml of the pasta cook water, then drain the pasta. 
  • While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic cloves. Brown the cloves gently (you're not aiming for them to burn) on one side, about 1-2 minutes of cooking time. Use tongs to flip the cloves and brown them gently on the other side, another minute or so. 
  • Transfer the cooked cloves of garlic to a high speed blender, along with the oil they cooked in. Add the additional 2 tablespoons olive oil, the smoked paprika, the entire jar of red bell peppers, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend for a minute, or until the sauce is silky smooth. 
  • Transfer the pasta back to the pot you cooked it in and add all of the sauce from the blender, along with 1/2 cup/120ml of the cook water. Heat the pasta and sauce over medium low heat, stirring as you go, for about 5 minutes. At first there will seem to be a lot of sauce, but the sauce will thicken and the pasta will absorb some of the liquid as you cook. Add additional cook water as needed, adjusting the consistency of the pasta to your preferences, and add additional salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. 
  • Serve, topped with cashew parmesan cheese to taste.