Creamy Dairy-Free Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Weeknights can feel like… a lot. Somewhere in between the never ending to do list dinner needs to happen. That’s why I love creating meals that are nourishing, quick, and stress-free. This Creamy Dairy-Free Roasted Red Pepper Pasta checks all those boxes: it’s delicious, comforting, and packed with goodness, yet simple enough for busy evenings.
And here’s the best part: you can make it two ways. If you love the full roasted veggie flavor, you can roast everything from scratch. But if you’re short on time (which, let’s be real, is most of the time), I’ve got you covered with a shortcut version using jarred roasted red peppers, garlic powder and onion powder. Same creamy, cozy flavor with half the effort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• It’s quick & flexible: Make it in 20 minutes with pantry shortcuts.
• It’s made with wholesome ingredients: Full of fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein.
• It’s kid-friendly: Creamy and familiar like mac and cheese, but with extra glow-boosting nutrients.
• It’s mama-approved: Easy to batch, freeze, and reheat on nights when time (and patience) is running low.
When I make this recipe at home I will typically serve it with a quick side salad (romaine, cucumber, balsamic vinegar and olive oil) as well as a protein such as, Abbots Butcher “ground beef”, tempeh or shrimp. My husband loves this with ground beef or chicken.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
• 1 box pasta of choice, cooked and drained (gluten-free or regular)
• 1–2 red peppers de-seeded OR 1-2 roasted red peppers from the jar
1 tbsp avocado or other cooking oil (use in the freshly roasted veggie version only)
• 1 cup raw cashews (roasted and unsalted is okay)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup water (more as needed to thin)
• 2 garlic cloves in the peel OR ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 of a yellow onion diced into large chinks OR ½–1 tsp onion powder
• Salt + pepper, to taste
Optional Boosts:
• A handful of spinach or kale (stir in at the end)
• 1 tbsp flax for extra fiber
• A serving of protein served alongside for a protein boost
Directions (Freshly Roasted Veggie version)
1. Preheat your oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the garlic in the peel, onion and red bell peppers, a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp cooking oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
2. Remove the veggies from the oven. Carefully remove the garlic from the peel. Add the veggies and the remaining ingredients (except for the pasta) to a high speed blender. Blend until creamy and smooth.
3. Toss pasta with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to thin. Stir in spinach, kale, or protein if using.
Option to heat the sauce first in a pan before adding the pasta if your sauce isn’t warm.
Directions (Quick Version)
1. Add garlic, roasted red peppers, cashews, nutritional yeast, onion powder, water, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until creamy and smooth.
2. Toss pasta with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to thin. Stir in spinach, kale, or protein if using.
Option to heat the sauce first in a pan before adding the pasta if your sauce isn’t warm.
Weeknight Hacks
Because making dinner should feel like a small win, not another stressor:
• Batch & Freeze: Double the sauce and freeze in ice cube trays. Pop a few cubes into a pan on busy nights for instant dinner magic.
• Sneaky Veggie Boost: Blend in spinach, kale, or even a little zucchini—extra nutrients with zero complaints from the kids.
• Protein Add-Ons: Keep canned chickpeas, beans, or tofu cubes on hand to stir in at the last minute for a more filling meal.
• One-Pot Clean-Up: If you’re really pressed for time, cook your pasta and sauce in the same pot (blend first, then pour over drained pasta). Fewer dishes = less stress.
• Kid Involvement: Let the little ones choose the pasta shape- bow ties, shells, or spirals. They’ll be more excited to eat what they helped decide.