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Vegan Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Vegan Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Vegan creamy roasted red pepper pasta with silky cashew sauce, smoky peppers, and nutritional yeast in 30 minutes. Dairy free comfort.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz rigatoni or penne
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water 15 minutes
  • 1 jar (12 oz) roasted red peppers drained
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil torn, for garnish
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional

Method
 

  1. **Boil.** Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 1 minute under package time, reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
  2. **Soften.** Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.
  3. **Bloom.** Add tomato paste and smoked paprika. Cook 90 seconds until the paste darkens and smells sweet.
  4. **Blend.** Drain cashews. Combine cashews, roasted red peppers, the cooked aromatics, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend on high 2 minutes until silky smooth.
  5. **Combine.** Pour the sauce back into the skillet. Stir in nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes.
  6. **Toss.** Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat, splashing in pasta water as needed for a glossy sauce.
  7. **Serve.** Top with torn basil and red pepper flakes.

Notes

Soak cashews in hot water for 15 minutes if you forgot to soak overnight. Use a high powered blender for the silkiest sauce. A regular blender works with a longer run. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining. A splash loosens the sauce if it tightens.