Creamy Red Pepper Pasta

Name: Creamy Red Pepper Pasta with Roasted Peppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 5 large red bell peppers, halved; 6 roma tomatoes, halved; 1 red onion, quartered; 1 head garlic, top sliced off; 2 tbsp olive oil; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste; 8 oz cream cheese; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 tbsp tomato bouillon powder; 1 lb spaghetti, cooked; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

This Creamy Red Pepper Pasta features a velvety sauce of roasted red bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic blended with cream cheese for richness. The roasting caramelizes the vegetables and deepens their natural sweetness, creating a restaurant-quality sauce that's simpler than it looks.

🌍Italian-American 🏷️Creamy pasta 🏷️Red pepper pasta 🏷️Pasta 🏷️Spaghetti Roasted red pepper

🏷️

🏷️Weeknight dinner

-0:00

TikTok

Total

45 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$25–$41

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok

-0:00

TikTok

Ingredients

5 large red bell peppers, halved
6 roma tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, quartered
1 head garlic, top sliced off
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato bouillon powder
1 lb spaghetti, cooked
2 tbsp fresh parsley, choppedoptional
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, gratedoptional

13 Ingredients

Delivery in as fast as one hour.^*

Powered by Instacart

Prices vary by store

^*Service fees apply. Instacart^® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.

Instructions

1
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange the halved red peppers, halved tomatoes, quartered red onion, and head of garlic.
2
Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3
Roast in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 30 minutes.
4
Transfer all the roasted vegetables to a blender.
5
Add the cream cheese, chicken stock, and tomato bouillon powder to the blender.
6
Blend on high speed until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy.
7
Pour the sauce into a large skillet or pan over medium heat.
8
Add cooked spaghetti to the sauce and toss with tongs until the pasta is fully coated.
9
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Was this recipe helpful?

Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Roast peppers and tomatoes cut-side down directly on a baking sheet with olive oil for maximum caramelization and easier charring.
Blend the cooled roasted vegetables with cream cheese while still slightly warm to help it incorporate smoothly; cold cream cheese can clump.
Use tomato bouillon powder to amplify umami; it's a shortcut to depth that you cannot replicate with just fresh tomatoes.
Reserve pasta water before draining; add 1–2 tablespoons to the sauce at the end to loosen it and help it cling to the pasta.

Substitutions

Cream cheese → mascarpone or heavy cream (1 cup heavy cream for 8 oz cream cheese; simmer to reduce slightly)
Chicken stock → vegetable stock or pasta water (if vegetarian or vegan)
Tomato bouillon powder → 2 tsp tomato paste mixed into the stock (less convenient but effective)
Red bell peppers → yellow or orange bell peppers (flavor will be slightly sweeter and less savory)

Storage & make-ahead

Store finished pasta sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, thinning with stock or pasta water as needed. Freeze the sauce (without pasta) up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Equipment

blender or immersion blender · baking sheet

Common Questions

Can I use jarred roasted red peppers instead of roasting my own?

Yes. Use 2 cups jarred roasted red peppers (drained) and skip the roasting step. Blend them with the tomatoes, garlic, cream cheese, and stock. The sauce will be ready faster but may lack the depth of flavor from roasting fresh peppers.

What pasta shape works best with this sauce?

Pappardelle, fettuccine, or rigatoni are ideal because the creamy sauce clings well to wider or ridged surfaces. Avoid thin pasta like spaghetti, which doesn't hold the thick sauce.

How do I know when the peppers and tomatoes are done roasting?

The peppers should be charred and soft (about 35–40 minutes at 400°F), and the tomato skins should split and collapse. The vegetables should release their juices and begin to caramelize at the edges.

Can I make this sauce ahead?

Yes. Refrigerate the finished sauce up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of stock if it thickens too much.

Is this recipe dairy-free or vegan?

No. Cream cheese and chicken stock are in the base recipe. Substitute dairy-free cream cheese and vegetable stock for a vegan version, though the flavor profile will differ slightly.