Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
This roasted red pepper pasta is one of my favorite weeknight dinners. Sweet roasted red peppers, blistered cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano come together in about 20 minutes to create a silky, flavorful sauce that's simple enough for any night of the week.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Servings
4
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) rigatoni
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- Fresh basil
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Pecorino Romano
- Pasta water
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of pasta water.
- Char the red pepper over a flame or under the broiler until the skin blisters. Steam in a covered bowl, then peel, seed, and slice.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they blister and start to collapse.
- Add the garlic and roasted pepper. Cook until fragrant, then add a splash of pasta water and let everything become a loose sauce. Mash some of the tomatoes and pepper if you want it silkier.
- Add the pasta and toss, adding more pasta water as needed.
- Remove from the heat. Tear in the basil and toss with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Chef’s Notes
The packaging already had amounts for the pasta, oil, tomatoes, pepper, and garlic. Cheese and basil are to taste. Roasting the pepper is what separates this from a plain cherry-tomato pasta—don't skip that sweetness.
Equipment Used
- Large pot
- Large skillet
- Tongs