Roasted Red Pepper Pasta | Home-made Pasta Recipes

Ever since I got the pasta machine at home, I have been trying to find different pasta recipes and pasta sauces. Although the classic pasta stir fry or the red pasta (Marinara sauce) or the white pasta (Alfredo sauce) are still our favorites, I wanted to explore more. During a casual browsing session, I happened to see roasted bell pepper soup and soon my imagination started working double time. Luckily when I found some really fresh red bell peppers, I couldn’t stop myself. All the while, S thought I was going to use the red peppers as a cut vegetable in pasta and little did he know that the sauce is based on these bell peppers. This is one of the best pasta recipes ever! The sauce is creamy, slightly tangy from the red peppers and so colorful. Everytime I looked at my plate, I was astonished by the bright orangish hue! To keep calories in check, I have not used cream or a lot of cheese in this recipe. Adding fresh cream or parmesan cheese will make this pasta sauce very creamy and rich. Moreover, I made my own spaghetti at home, following this recipe of mine and it definitely took the pasta recipe to another level.

To make Roasted Red Pepper Pasta | Red Capsicum Spaghetti

Servings: 2
Time: 40 mins
Difficulty: Medium
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What I used –

Red Bell Peppers/Capsicum, 3 large
Onion, 1 medium
Garlic Pods, 8-12
Olive Oil, 2 tsp
Cooked Spaghetti Pasta, 2 cups
Red Chilli Flakes, ¾ tsp
Mixed Italian Herbs Dried, 1 tsp
Pepper Powder, ½ teaspoon (optional)
Fresh Basil leaves, a few (optional)
Toned Milk, ⅓^rd cup
Cheese, 1 tbsp
Salt, as required
Water, as required

How I made –

1. In a thick bottomed pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add finely chopped garlic and fry until nice aroma comes up. Add finely chopped onions. Fry until translucent. Add chopped red bell peppers. Roast for 6-7 mins.

2. The capsicum would slightly shrink and look cooked. Let this mixture cool down. Blend it into a smooth paste. In a pan, heat the remaining 1tsp of oil. Add the red pepper paste. Keep the flame on medium and add the milk. Mix well. Let it cook for 3-4 mins.

3. Add red chilli flakes, pepper powder and Italian mixed herbs. Cook for another two minutes. Add grated cheese to the sauce.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta as per this recipe or cook the ready-made spaghetti in lots of salted water. Strain the pasta out of the water and add it to the sauce. Mix well. Add torn basil leaves and mix well.

6. Serve hot with basil leaves and grated cheese (optional) on top.

Note –

Instead of going for store bought spaghetti, I made my own pasta using this recipe. The only change is instead of using the fettuccine press, I used the spaghetti cut. Rest of the recipe is same.
The red bell peppers can be roasted in an oven or directly over the flame on stove top. As I did not have much time, I went for this easier and hassle free method.
Make a fine paste of the cooked capsicum for a creamier pasta.
Instead of milk, cream can be added to the sauce.
I used a cheese that’s a blend of mozzarella and cheddar. It can any variety of cheese.
Pepper powder is optional. I added it as I felt that the sauce was a bit tangy.
Don’t throw away all the water used to cook pasta. If the sauce becomes too thick, add pasta water to dilute it without impacting the taste.
Serve the pasta immediately, or it will turn gluggy.

Submitting this post to the Kids Delight - Pasta special event hosted by my friend Srividhya.