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Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

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A delicious hidden vegetable pasta sauce that can be made by absolutely anyone.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword easy veggie pasta sauce, hidden vegetables, hidden veggie recipe, hidden veggies, homemade pasta sauce, pasta sauce, red bell pepper pasta sauce, vegan homemade pasta sauce, vegan pasta recipe, vegan pasta sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 358
Author carleigh

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 red bell peppers seeded, quartered
  • 3 vine ripened tomatoes quartered
  • 1 head garlic top sliced off
  • 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • ¾ cup cashews raw
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1½ cups pasta water reserved from cooking

To serve

  • Vegan parm
  • Fresh basil
  • Red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • To a sheet pan or large casserole dish, add the bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic head, onion, tomato paste and cashews. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Toss. 
  • Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the garlic, peppers and tomatoes have softened and the cashews are browned.
  • In the meantime, cook your spaghetti according to package directions, reserving at least 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water for later. 
  • Once safe to handle, transfer the pepper mixture to a high speed blender with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth. I like to blend this a lot, for at least 3 to 5 minutes, to achieve a really silky sauce. 
  • Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and toss, adding the additional 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water as needed to thin. Serve with fresh basil, vegan parmesan, more salt and pepper as needed. 

Notes

  • Use sunflower seeds in place of cashews to make the sauce nut-free. However, since they are smaller, add them halfway through the cooking process.
  • Use your favorite shape of pasta. You can also use gluten-free and high-protein pasta varieties. Be sure to follow the packaging instructions for best results.
  • Optional, but you can peel the skin off the peppers and tomatoes. This way, the final texture will be a little smoother.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 55.8g | Protein: 11.9g | Fat: 10.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.7g | Sodium: 35.6mg | Potassium: 534.9mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 6.9g | Vitamin A: 1795.7IU | Vitamin C: 62.7mg | Calcium: 42.2mg | Iron: 2.4mg