The pasta we all need right now: roasted red pepper pantry pasta. A very simple, very tasty pasta recipe made with lots of pantry staples. It’s quick, flavorful, and simply so comforting.
Just like most food bloggers, I’m definitely feeling the need to focus on sharing simple, minimal-ingredient, comforting recipes right now using up different pantry staples (this cauliflower soup is a pantry favorite). With everything going on in the world and everyone’s lives being affected in some way, I’m hoping my blog can be a place you turn to for something to brighten your day (and inspire you to cook!).
There is so much joy in cooking, and I’m really wanting to share recipe inspiration with you now more than ever. Most of us are currently at home with a few extra ingredients in our pantries, and I’d say we’re majorly in need of a very comforting pasta.
This roasted red pepper pantry pasta is just that.
roasted red pepper pantry pasta – the details…
This pantry pasta is simple to make, yet lacks no flavor whatsoever. By the time the pasta boils, you’ll have whipped up the sauce and have dinner on the table in no time.
While most recipes I develop for the site are pre-planned and shopped for, this pasta came together truly with what I had on hand. I’m hoping you might even currently have most of the ingredients in your own kitchens. We’ve got the pasta (use whatever kind you’d like), a little butter, caramelized shallot, garlic, lemon zest + juice, tomato paste, white wine, jarred roasted red peppers, and capers. It all comes together beautifully in a zesty, tangy pasta that’s just a tad rich with the butter, wine, and pasta water creating a silky sauce.
The best part? It’s so versatile and you can use whatever you have on hand. You can swap the shallot for an onion, the white wine for red, the red peppers for sun dried tomatoes, the capers for olives, etc.
I hope this inspires you to create a pantry pasta of your own and stay extra comforted over these next few weeks!
PrintRoasted Red Pepper Pantry Pasta
a simple pantry pasta full of roasted red peppers, capers, shallots, garlic, lemon, white wine, and butter
servings: 2-4
Ingredients
- ½ lb dry pasta
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly shaved*
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup sliced roasted red peppers
- ½ cup capers
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a heaping palmful of salt. Drop the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package’s instructions, stirring often. Right before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet (or small, heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sliced shallot and a pinch of salt. Saute for a few minutes until tender and caramelized, stirring often.
- Stir in the shaved garlic and lemon zest. Let cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste. Stir well to incorporate. Pour in the white wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for a minute or so before stirring in the roasted red peppers and capers.
- Add the reserved pasta water to the sauce. Allow to simmer for a couple minutes more. Stir in the drained pasta, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and lemon juice. Mix well until the butter melts and the sauce thickens enough to coat the pasta.
- Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve the pasta with freshly cracked black pepper over top.
Notes
You can use a mandolin to shave the garlic or a very sharp knife. You just don’t want the pieces thick. If it’s easier for you, you can just chop it finely or even pass it through a garlic press.
shop the dish: roasted red pepper pantry pasta…
So glad I found this recipe, love it
Hi Barbara! Thank you for your comment. I’m thrilled to hear you love this recipe!
Can you specify what type of peppers we are using? Is it bell pepper, jalapeños, or chili peppers?
Hi Silena! You’ll want to use roasted red bell peppers. They come in a jar – sometimes sliced, and sometimes whole (if that’s the case, you can easily just slice them up) – and you’ll just drain off the liquid before adding them to the sauce. Hope this helps!
Cooked tonight, This was amaaaaaazing!
YAY. So glad to hear! Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed!
The Roasted Red Pepper Pantry Pasta is amazing!! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for sharing Alicia! I’m SO happy to hear you enjoyed this. One of my favorites right now!
I made this tonight. Subbed the shallots for onions and increased the lemon juice because I didn’t have lemon zest. Wow, it was amazing!! I’m not a big pasta lover but making this again. My Sicilian husband loved it. Says a lot!
Hi Mia! Wow, how awesome! I’m so glad you both enjoyed and love the modifications. Thanks for sharing!!
Amazing pasta dish! I added olives to the capers I had. Had no tomato paste so used marinara sauce. Onion instead of shallot. It was so delicious!
Hi Susan – I’m so happy you enjoyed this! Love the modifications…definitely a versatile dish so glad you were able to use what you had!
Looks delish! Any chance you can sub olives for capers?
Absolutely! Just give them a rough dice and throw them right on in. Enjoy!
Hello… I’m looking to try this out sometime soon. Is there something else I can use as a substitute in place of the white wine?
Hi Susan! I’d recommend just using more of the pasta water to make sure you have enough liquid to create the sauce. And then maybe adding a splash of white or red wine vinegar if you have it to add a little acidity that you’d get from the wine. I hope this helps! Enjoy!!