Vegan Roasted Bell Pepper and Veggie Pasta

This Vegan Roasted Bell Pepper and Veggie Pasta is creamy, healthy, and full of flavor. Made with a velvety cashew and roasted red pepper sauce, fresh basil, and roasted vegetables, it is an easy dairy-free pasta recipe perfect for weeknight dinners.

This dish has just a few key ingredients and is a great option for busy weeknights. It’s packed with flavor from fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, and citrusy lemon.

This pasta is blowing up social media and for good reason! With little effort, a delicious vegan dinner can be on the kitchen table within 25 minutes or less.

The sauce’s flavor is delicious, and the roasted vegetables add to the heartiness of this pasta dish. This is easily one of our favorite vegan weeknight meals.

Why You Will Love This Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

The creamy sauce is out of this world good: Pasta is all about the sauce, am I right? Throwing the ingredients into a high-speed blender makes this Creamy Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce makes it even better.

It’s customizable: If you’re gluten-free, you can use any pasta of your choice for this recipe. If you’re interested in other roasted vegetable varieties, like sweet potato or red bell pepper, go for it!

It’s easy to make: You only need a couple of minutes to put together the homemade pasta sauce, roasted vegetables, and cooked pasta.

The best part is the wholesome ingredients: This pasta is healthy and a great dinner option for your whole family.

It’s a family favorite pasta dish: My husband loves this red pepper pasta recipe and gets excited when I make it. It’s honestly one of the most creamy pasta dishes I have had.

It reheats well: It’s easy to save the leftover pasta. By throwing it in an airtight container, you’ll have leftovers ready for your next meal.

The Ingredients

Here is everything you need to make the pasta.

Pasta: Grab a box of your pasta of choice because this part is about you. Shells, rigatoni, lentil-based, or gluten-free pasta. It’s up to you.

Red onion: Nothing tastes better than roasted peppers and onion, am I right? I love this combination.

Zucchini: You can technically use any type of squash. I just prefer zucchini squash.

Broccoli: Have you heard the amazing health benefits of cruciferous vegetables? I try to add them to at least one meal a day!

Basil: One of my favorite aspects of this dish is the fresh basil on top of the cooked pasta. Talk about fresh!

Avocado oil: You can also use extra virgin olive oil. I prefer to cook with AVO oil, however.

Here is everything you need to make the roasted bell pepper sauce.

Jar of roasted bell peppers: Using jarred roasted red peppers makes this recipe quick and effortless. They bring a smoky sweetness that creates the base of this creamy vegan sauce without the need to roast fresh peppers.

Cashews: Soaked cashews blend into a rich and velvety texture, giving the sauce its signature creaminess and adding plant based protein and healthy fats.

Nutritional yeast: This vegan pantry staple adds a cheesy, savory flavor while boosting nutrients like B vitamins and protein, making the sauce both flavorful and wholesome.

Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brightens the sauce with a tangy citrus flavor and balances the creaminess of the cashews. It also adds a boost of vitamin C.

Vegetable stock: Vegetable stock infuses depth and flavor into the sauce, helping to thin it to the perfect consistency. Low sodium stock works best so you can control the seasoning.

Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic brings bold, savory flavor that enhances the sweetness of the peppers and the nuttiness of the cashews.

Red pepper flakes: A pinch of red pepper flakes gives the sauce a subtle kick of heat that balances the creamy and smoky notes. Adjust the spice level to your preference.

Salt and pepper: Season the sauce to taste with salt and black pepper for the perfect finishing touch.

The Instructions

*Make sure to soak your cashews in water for at least 4 hours. See the notes below for a quicker alternative.

Step one: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Step two: Place the chopped vegetables onto the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss until all of the vegetables are evenly coated. Spread the vegetables into a single, even layer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are browned.

Step three: Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the water and set the pasta aside, keeping the pasta warm in the pot.

Step four: Make the roasted bell pepper sauce. Place all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. This includes drained bell peppers, drained cashews, lemon juice, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. *Make sure your cashews have soaked overnight.

Blend until creamy. If it seems too thick, add a splash of additional vegetable stock.

Step five: Add the roasted vegetables and blended sauce to the pot of pasta. Mix to incorporate the sauce. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve immediately.

How to Store Leftovers

Place leftovers in an air tight container and in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, place a napkin over a glass bowl of pasta and heat for 1-2 minutes in the microwave or until heated all of the way through.

Tips + Modifications

Feel free to roast whichever vegetables you have on hand. Or add in others. The more vegetables the better, right?

To soak your cashews:

Place raw cashews in a glass bowl. Fill the bowl with filtered water until the cashews are completely covered. Place the bowl into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To speed this up, heat the water until boiling. Remove from the heat. Soak the cashews in the hot water for 20-30 minutes. Drain and then they are all set.