Roasted Red Pepper Pasta — A Creamy Weeknight Dinner the Whole Family Will Love
I Used a Major Shortcut for This Pasta and I Am Not Even a Little Bit Sorry
This roasted red pepper pasta came together from one jar of peppers, a few pantry staples, and about thirty minutes — and it turned out so good it is absolutely going into our regular dinner rotation. The sauce is creamy and rich and has this gorgeous deep flavor that tastes like you spent way more time than you did. I blended a drained jar of roasted red peppers with the sautéed onion and garlic, poured it right back into the pan, stirred in some heavy cream and chicken broth, seasoned it with Kinder’s Garlic and Herb, added fresh spinach, and tossed in a pound of spaghetti. Done. The whole family came running.
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Watch me make this roasted red pepper pasta from start to finish — or scroll down for the full printable recipe card.
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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti or tortellini
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jar 12 oz roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Kinder’s Garlic & Herb seasoning to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or mozzarella
- 2 –3 tablespoons fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried
Method
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Transfer onion and garlic to a blender. Add drained roasted red peppers and purée until smooth.
- Pour mixture back into skillet. Add chicken broth and stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and Kinder’s Garlic & Herb seasoning.
- Stir in heavy cream. Add spinach and cook 2–3 minutes until wilted.
- Add cooked pasta and toss until fully coated.
- Stir in most of the Parmesan, reserving a little for garnish. Top with parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
Why This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Works
The whole secret to this roasted red pepper pasta is the jar. Roasting red peppers from scratch is a whole project — you char them, you peel them, you deal with the steam and the mess. A good jar of roasted red peppers gives you all of that deep, smoky-sweet flavor with zero effort and zero extra dishes. You drain it, you blend it with the onion and garlic you just sautéed, and you pour it back into the pan. The sauce is silky and vivid and honestly looks like something from a nice restaurant. I was standing there stirring it thinking: I cannot believe this is happening right now.
The cream and chicken broth go in next, and that is when the sauce really comes together — it goes from a thick puree to something pourable and glossy and deeply flavorful. I used Kinder’s Garlic and Herb seasoning for the seasoning, which has a little lemon note that I thought would complement the peppers, and I was right. Salt, pepper, and a little shake of that is all it needed. Then a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach wilted right in, and the whole pan just looked gorgeous.
Toss in a pound of cooked spaghetti — or tortellini if you want to make it extra special — and finish with Parmesan. I used mozzarella the day I filmed this because that is what I had, and it melted in beautifully. Either works. The depth of flavor from those roasted red peppers, blended up into that creamy sauce, hits every single note. This one is going into the regular rotation! The Kitchn has a great guide to cooking dried pasta if you want tips on getting your spaghetti perfectly al dente every time.
A Few Things That Make This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Even Easier
- Use a deep skillet for the sauce. You need room to blend the peppers back in, stir in the broth and cream, add the spinach, and toss a full pound of pasta. I made this in my SENSARTE 12-inch ceramic pan and it was perfect — deep enough to hold everything and nothing stuck.
- Drain and rinse your pasta before tossing. The recipe calls for rinsing the cooked pasta with cold water before adding it to the sauce. This stops the cooking and keeps the spaghetti from clumping. Add it to the warm sauce and toss to coat — it picks up the color and flavor beautifully.
- Don’t skip the blender step. Sautéing the onion and garlic in butter first, then transferring everything to the blender with the drained peppers, is what makes this sauce smooth and restaurant-quality. If you skip it and just throw the peppers in the pan, you lose the velvety texture that makes this dish special.
- Add the protein just before the spinach. If you want to add a pound of cooked chicken or Italian sausage, stir it in just before the spinach so it has a couple of minutes to come up to temperature as the spinach wilts. This keeps the meat from drying out in the sauce.
- Tortellini is a fantastic swap. Stephanie recommends cheese tortellini as an alternative to spaghetti, and it is a great call. The pillowy pasta holds the creamy red pepper sauce even better and makes the dish feel a little more special with zero extra effort.
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
What pasta works best for roasted red pepper pasta?
Spaghetti is Stephanie’s go-to for this roasted red pepper pasta because it coats beautifully in the creamy sauce. Tortellini is her runner-up pick and makes the dish feel extra special. Any long noodle like linguine or fettuccine would also work well — you want something that the sauce can cling to. Short pastas like penne or rigatoni are fine too if that is what you have on hand.
Can I add chicken or sausage to roasted red pepper pasta?
Yes — a pound of cooked chicken or Italian sausage is a great addition. Cook it fully first, then stir it into the sauce just before the spinach goes in so it has a couple of minutes to heat through as the spinach wilts. Both work beautifully with the red pepper cream sauce. If your crew needs a protein at every dinner, Italian sausage is the move.
Can I make roasted red pepper pasta ahead of time?
You can make the sauce a day ahead and refrigerate it, then cook fresh pasta and reheat the sauce over medium-low heat when you are ready to serve. The sauce reheats beautifully with a splash of broth or cream stirred in to loosen it. I would not recommend combining the pasta and sauce ahead of time because the spaghetti will absorb the sauce and turn mushy overnight.
How do I store and reheat leftover roasted red pepper pasta?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce. It also reheats fine in the microwave in 90-second intervals — stir between each one. The flavor is actually great the next day once the sauce has had time to settle.
What can I substitute for heavy cream in this recipe?
Half-and-half works as a lighter substitute and still gives you a creamy sauce, just a little thinner. Whole milk can work in a pinch but the sauce will be noticeably thinner — let it simmer a few extra minutes to reduce and thicken before adding the pasta. I would not recommend a non-dairy milk here because the sauce will break and the flavor will be off.
Can I use fresh red peppers instead of jarred?
You can, but you will need to roast them first — char them under the broiler or directly over a gas flame, seal them in a bag to steam, then peel and seed them. It is more work and more dishes, and honestly the jarred version is excellent. The whole point of this roasted red pepper pasta is that the jar does the heavy lifting for you. I am not even a little bit sorry about that shortcut.
How do I scale this roasted red pepper pasta for a crowd?
This recipe as written feeds about six people comfortably as a main. To feed a crowd of ten to twelve, double everything — two jars of peppers, two pounds of pasta, two cups of broth, a full cup of cream. Use your biggest pot for the pasta and your largest skillet for the sauce. It scales perfectly and is a great option for a weeknight when you have people coming over.
🛒 Complete Shopping List
Everything you need to make this roasted red pepper pasta — click any item to shop on Amazon.
Ingredients
![Spice World Minced Garlic 4.5 Oz Jar [Pack of 2]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510T7mXdCYL._SL160_.jpg)
Equipment
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Cajun Chicken Pasta — the easiest 30-minute pasta dinner that never fails to get requests for seconds.
- Boursin Orzo Bake with Sausage and Spinach — another creamy pasta bake that practically makes itself. Perfect for company.
- Cheese Tortellini with Mushroom Butter Sauce — same cozy comfort vibe, ready in 20 minutes, and the sauce is absolutely incredible.
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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.