Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine with Creamy Parmesan Sauce Recipe
This Roasted Red Pepper Sauce recipe features smoky, sweet roasted red peppers blended into a creamy, flavorful sauce enhanced with garlic, cream, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. Perfectly paired with fettuccine, this sauce is a delightful twist on traditional pasta dishes, offering a rich and vibrant flavor that elevates any meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Roasting, Blending, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Peppers and Vegetables
- 4–5 red bell peppers, quartered with stems and seeds removed
- 2 whole heads garlic, roasted (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
- ½ medium onion, diced
Sauce Base
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
Pasta
- 16 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Roast the Peppers: Preheat the oven to broil on high. Place the quartered red bell peppers skin side up on a baking sheet and roast under the broiler for 7-10 minutes until the skins are blackened and blistered. Remove from oven, place peppers in a glass bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam for 30 minutes to loosen skins, then peel off skins and chop the peppers.
- Sauté Onions and Combine Peppers: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the roasted red peppers and roasted garlic cloves (peeled) to the pan, stirring to combine and heat through.
- Blend the Pepper Mixture: Transfer the peppers, onions, and garlic to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, creating a vibrant red pepper puree.
- Prepare the Sauce: In the same pan, melt the salted butter over medium heat. Pour the red pepper puree back into the pan with the melted butter. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and let simmer briefly to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Finish the Sauce: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted and incorporated.
- Cook the Pasta: Prepare the fettuccine according to the package instructions in salted boiling water. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta well.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked fettuccine to the pan with the red pepper sauce. Gently toss to coat the pasta evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve the desired sauce consistency.
- Serve: Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil strips over the pasta. Serve immediately while hot for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Roasting the peppers under the broiler brings out a smoky flavor essential to the sauce.
- Steaming the roasted peppers makes skin removal easy and helps achieve a smooth texture.
- Using roasted garlic enhances the sauce’s depth of flavor, but raw minced garlic can be substituted if unavailable.
- Reserving pasta water helps thin the sauce without losing flavor and helps it adhere better to the pasta.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- This sauce pairs well with other pasta shapes, such as penne or linguine.
Keywords: Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Red Pepper Pasta Sauce, Creamy Red Pepper Sauce, Italian Pasta Sauce, Fettuccine Sauce
