Simple, savory, sweet and scrumptious, this pasta is a breeze to make with as little as 5 ingredients – red peppers, garlic, pasta, salt and olive oil.

About the recipe

I made this red bell pepper pasta after returning from a week away for Spring Break. When we came back home I had six red bell peppers in the refrigerator that I had bought before our trip and they were not as firm as when I first bought them. Roasting them with some olive oil to get them caramelized seemed like a great way to mask the “not so fresh” texture of these peppers. I was debating on what to make with the roasted peppers – a quinoa pilaf, or a sandwich, soup, or pasta?  Rani happened to walk past and requested pasta. Roasted red pepper pasta it was to be 😋.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

• 6 red bell peppers cut into thins lengthwise strips
• 6 garlic cloves finely minced
• 1 lb pasta
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Red chili flakes (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Toss the cut red bell peppers with 2 tbsp olive oil. Spread on a thin layer on a baking sheet and roast in oven for 30 minutes until peppers are tender and caramelized, and slightly charred. Set aside.

• Make pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside, saving one cup of pasta water.
• In a large pot heat 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté garlic until tender and aroma is released. Add roasted red bell peppers, salt to taste and red chili flakes if using. Toss all ingredients together for a minute or two to allow the garlic flavors to coat the peppers.

•  Next add cooked pasta and 1 cup pasta water, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Roasted red bell pepper pasta is ready. Serve with garnish of Parmesan cheese if desired.