Dairy-Free Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This creamy, spicy, flavorful recipe is an easy and versatile dinner. Keep in mind that the brand of red peppers you use can affect the flavor. Also, feel free to halve or omit the crushed red pepper if serving timid taste buds.
Author:
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 12 to 16 ounces dry pasta (use gluten free, if needed; see Pasta Note below)
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil over medium heat
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ¼ cup raw cashews (see Nut-free Option below)
  • 2 (12-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers, drained very well (see notes in post above)
  • ¾ cup dairy-free half & half alternative (I use Ripple Original; can sub lite canned coconut milk)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (can sub balsamic vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 4 minutes.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  4. Grind the cashews in a spice grinder until powdered.
  5. Place the ground cashews, drained roasted peppers, dairy-free half & half, lemon juice, and salt in your blender. Puree until very smooth, about 1 minute.
  6. Pour the sauce back into your skillet and cook over medium-low heat, whisking often, for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly thickened. If you make it ahead, it will thicken more in the refrigerator. If desired, stir in the black pepper.
  7. Toss the sauce with your cooked pasta to serve.
  8. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Pasta Note: I use 12 ounces of pasta if I plan on adding in quite a few vegetables and a protein. I use 16 ounces if I'm keeping it simple and just tossing in a modest amount of add ins.

Nut-free Option: Substitute 2 tablespoons of non-GMO cornstarch for the cashews. Do not overcook the sauce if using starch, as the starch will break down if cooked too long. See the post above for other options.

Cheesy/Depth Flavor Variation: Taste test the sauce, and if more depth of flavor is desired, blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, to taste. I often omit it, but sometimes it works nicely to round things out.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/roasted-red-pepper-pasta