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Dairy Free Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

A bowl of dairy free creamy roasted red pepper pasta topped with grated dairy free parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.
Creamy roasted red pepper pasta is the perfect blend of smoky, sweet, and savory flavors in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. This comforting meal is packed with veggies and is a great quick weeknight dinner. 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • 12 ounces penne pasta or similar size pasta of choice, use GF if needed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ medium yellow or white onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes depending on spice preference
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers drained
  • ½ cup creamy oat milk
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dairy free butter or unsalted butter
  • fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • cooked protein of choice (optional) such as Italian sausage, chicken, etc.

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, cook the onion and garlic until the garlic is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute, then add tomato paste. Cook until the sauce has darkened, 2-3 minutes.
  • In a blender, combine the roasted red peppers, sauteed onion and garlic mixture, oat milk, and nutritional yeast. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend until smooth.
  • Pour half the sauce (1.5 cups) back into the skillet and warm over low heat. Let the remainder of sauce cool to room temperature, then store it in the fridge or freeze for later use.
  • Stir in the butter until melted. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water as needed for a silky texture.
  • Top with torn fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

Notes

See the blog post for helpful tips, storage & reheating, and recipe FAQs.
The sauce makes a large batch, so I highly recommend freezing the other half of it for later.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No jarred roasted red peppers? - you can use oil-packed sun dried tomatoes for a slightly different flavor. Use the oil in the jar to cook the onion and garlic.
No oat milk? - use another creamy non dairy milk such as canned coconut milk or cashew milk.
Gluten-free? - use your favorite gluten-free pasta. I like Jovial's brown rice pasta.
Not dairy free? - sub whole milk or heavy cream and unsalted butter.
Add-ins - roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, grated dairy free parmesan cheese, or cooked protein such as Italian sausage, white beans, or chicken breast.