30 Minute Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
If figuring out what’s for dinner is your least favorite part of the day, add this one to your rotation!! This creamy roasted red pepper pasta comes together in about 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients, and is exactly the kind of easy weeknight dinner I need when the last thing I want to do is spend an hour in the kitchen.
It’s made with Brami pasta, chicken sausage, sautéed red peppers and spinach, all tossed in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. The sauce gets its creaminess from cottage cheese and a little cream cheese, so it’s rich without needing a heavy cream-based sauce.
Servings: 5
Macros: 455 cals | 33g P | 59g C | 12g F
Things I love for this recipe:
Beast Blender: love this for sauces!
Caraway pans: the best!!
Ingredients:
For the pasta:
1 box Brami rigatoni
12 oz fully cooked Italian chicken sausage, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large handfuls fresh spinach
Olive oil or cooking spray
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Red pepper flakes, optional
For the creamy roasted red pepper sauce:
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
3/4 cup cottage cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp cream cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Cook the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the Brami rigatoni according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Make the sauce. While the pasta cooks, add the roasted red peppers, cottage cheese, cream cheese, garlic, tomato paste, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, grated parm, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. If space is an issue, you can chop the peppers before adding to the blender.
Sauté the pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil or cooking spray. Add the diced red bell pepper and cook for 3–4 minutes, until it begins to soften.
Brown the chicken sausage. Add the sliced chicken sausage to the skillet with the peppers. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is warmed through and has some golden-brown edges. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the sauce. Turn off the heat and pour the creamy roasted red pepper sauce into the same skillet. Avoid bringing the sauce to a boil to keep it smooth and creamy.
Add the spinach. Stir in the fresh spinach, cover and cook just until wilted.
Bring it all together. Add the drained Brami pasta and about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss until everything is coated in the creamy sauce. Add another splash of pasta water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Finish and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and top with freshly grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Creamiest Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Blend it really well. Give the sauce plenty of time in the blender so the cottage cheese becomes completely smooth.
Keep the heat low. Once the sauce hits the skillet, you only need to warm it through. Boiling a cottage cheese-based sauce can make the texture grainy.
Save your pasta water. The starchy water helps loosen the sauce and gives it that glossy, creamy finish that clings to the pasta.
