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A bowl of spaghetti coated in a bright red roasted red pepper and tomato sauce. Garnished with a dusting of dried oregano.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta

This vegetarian sauce has a lovely touch of sweetness from the roasted red peppers.
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Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cool time 10 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Pastas
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 297
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb small variety tomatoes like cherry or San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper halved and seeds removed
  • 5 garlic cloves smashed
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 tsp kosher salt divided
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup fresh basil optional
  • 1 lb pasta I prefer spaghetti for this sauce
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 oven-safe baking dish large enough for everything to fit in a single layer
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 food food processor
  • 1 silicone spatula to scrape sauce from the food processor

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a rack to the middle position.
  2. Add tomatoes, red pepper halves (skin side up), and smashed garlic cloves to an oven-safe baking dish or shallow roasting pan. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. Bake on the center rack for 45 minutes.
    An oval baking dish with assorted small variety tomatoes, red pepper, and smashed garlic cloves, all ready to roast in the oven.
  3. Remove from the oven and let the pan cool off completely. Once cooled, remove the skin from the red pepper halves. The skin will come off easily when cooled.
  4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water reached a rolling boil. add 3 tbsp of kosher salt and stir. When the water reaches a roaring boil, add the spaghetti; cook as per package instruction until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of starchy pasta water.
  5. Transfer the ingredients of the pan and all their juices to a food processor. Add red pepper flakes, oregano, basil (if using), freshly ground black pepper, and salt. Start blending and slowly pour in remaining olive oil while the processor is running. Blend until smooth and season to taste.
  6. Toss with hot al dente pasta (using a bit of the reserved starchy pasta water to thin the sauce).
  7. Garnish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Ricotta Salata. Serve Hot!

Notes

If I'm not using the sauce right away, I'll store it in a mason jar in the fridge to use later in the week.