Roasted Red Pepper +
Sweet Potato Pasta
This creamy vegan roasted red pepper pasta is nutrient-packed, kid-friendly, and full of flavor. Using just a few common ingredients, this dish is perfect for a quick dinner – and makes for great leftovers too!
I came up with this recipe by accident, but boy am I glad I did. It was a typical night where I was stumped on what to make for dinner – bored with my usual go-to’s and strapped for time. After having the same leftovers the past few nights, I was ready for something new, and I think it’s safe to say my two-year-old was too.
I’ve been craving creamy vegan pasta a lot during my pregnancy and Caleb is always up for a bowl of noodles, so I thought of my Sweet Potato Mac N’ Cheese. But it just wasn’t striking my fancy at the moment.
I was in the mood for something with a little more…I don’t know, tangy? Plus, I didn’t have any coconut milk, which is key in the vegan mac. However, I did have a red bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes on hand, so I decided to see what would happen if I just added it all to the mix.
I figured it would taste okay, but I was totally floored at just how well the flavors meshed together. The roasted red pepper provides that deep, rich flavor, while the sundried tomato adds the tang I was craving, and the sweet potato balances everything out.
On the nutritional end, sweet potato and bell pepper are great sources of plant-based, immune system-supporting vitamin A and the tofu adds both creaminess and major plant protein to make this dish a complete meal as far as my guidelines go: beans, greens (or in this case oranges and reds), and grains.
You can choose any whole-grain pasta you’d like, but I used Sfoglini Reginetti pasta. It isn’t sponsored, I just love their organic whole grains and fun shapes – and C loves them too! I often use legume pasta for the extra protein, but I decided to go with whole grain this time because the tofu in this recipe does the job with the protein. But this could also be good with a chickpea or lentil pasta.
For added nutrient-density, I like to serve this creamy roasted red pepper pasta with broccoli or sauteed kale on the side (or mixed in). And if you like a little kick, top your pasta with some crushed red pepper!
Roasted Red Pepper + Sweet Potato Pasta
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This plant-based pasta is easy, creamy, and perfect for the whole family!
Author: Whitney English
Recipe type: vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ medium sweet potato (~1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 package whole-grain or legume pasta
- ½ block firm tofu, drained and pressed
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½-1 cup of pasta water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roughly chop the bell pepper, and peel and cube the sweet potato.
- Toss the sweet potato and pepper with olive oil, and place on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for ~25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cook pasta according to directions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the cooked pepper and potato, along with the tofu, nutritional yeast, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, salt, and ½ cup of pasta water. Puree until smooth. Test the sauce and add more salt or pasta water to achieve desired taste and consistency.
- Add the sauce to the drained pasta and enjoy!
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Weigh-in: Have you tried red pepper or sweet potato in your pasta sauce? Will you try this roasted red pepper vegan pasta?
- Whitney
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Karen says:
Is there a suitable substitution for the tofu? Soy irritates my tummy, but I would love to try your recipe.
Karen says:
Is there a suitable substitution for the tofu? Soy irritates my tummy, but I would love to try your recipe.
Whitney E. RD says:
Soaked cashews should work!
Isaac Robertson says:
Hello!
Just wanted to let you know that my wife and I tried this recipe the other night. It so happens that my inlaws were there too. They like the recipe so much that they ask for the leftovers to go!
Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing this. Excited to send the next recipe here to my wife.
Have a great day!