Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta is a super delicious, beyond easy dinner that’s high in protein and fantastic for busy weeknights!
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Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Minimal Ingredients – all you need is 4 ingredients plus a couple seasonings.
- Pantry Staples – this pasta is one of those dishes you can rely on for a super low stress, last minute dinner, as it’s main ingredients are fridge/ pantry staples.
- Blend and Boil – literally all you have to do is boil the pasta and blend your sauce ingredients. The ingredients were intentionally chosen to amplify flavor and nutrition, without having to chop and sauté vegetables, for those nights when you truly just don’t have the time.
- 15 Minutes – the longest part of this recipe is waiting for the water to boil for the pasta lol.
- Versatile – there are other ways you can add flavor and nutrition to this pasta dish!
- Meal Prep-Friendly – whether you’re enjoying leftovers the next day or just making it for meal prep, this pasta reheats beautifully and tastes amazing!
- High in Protein – between using a high protein pasta and the cottage cheese in the sauce, one serving naturally has about 18 grams of vegetarian protein.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:
For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pasta – I love using a higher protein, higher fiber pasta. My favorite brands are Goodles and Barilla Protein Plus. Banza makes a great chickpea pasta, too!
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers – you’ll need one jar of roasted red bell pepper slices. Be sure to drain them before adding to the blender!
- Cottage Cheese – such a fantastic way to add a rich creaminess, while also adding a huge pop of protein.
- Balsamic Vinegar – a simple ingredient that has a major flavor punch
- Seasonings – you need Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add pasta to a pot of salted, boiling water and prepare according to package directions.
- While the pasta is boiling, add sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- When pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander.
- Add the pasta back to the pot (off the heat) and stir in the roasted red pepper sauce.
Tips and Variations
- More Protein: I love stirring in some shredded chicken or ground meat for a little more protein and to make it more of a full meal.
- More Plants: I love adding in extra vegetables to this dish, too, like spinach, roasted zucchini, sliced mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, blistered tomatoes, roasted broccoli or cauliflower, etc.
- If You Have More Time: sauté half a diced onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic to add to the blended sauce.
Serving Suggestions:
While this roasted red pepper does offer quite a bit of protein and fiber on its own, it’s not going to be enough for a full meal for most adults. Try adding more protein + veg to make a complete meal.
More Protein:
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Sliced or diced baked chicken breast
- Ground meat (chicken, turkey, beef, venison, bison, etc.)
- Turkey meatballs
- Easy Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Tofu
More Plants:
- Roasted Frozen Green Beans
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Steamed Frozen Vegetables
- Parsley and Tomato Salad
- Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
Meal Prep: Storing & Reheating
Simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta can also reheat in a small pot on the stove, but you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons additional liquid (water, milk, broth) to account for liquid absorbed by the pasta/ lost while reheating.
You can freeze this pasta for up to 3 months, too.
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More Pasta Recipes to Love
- High Protein Tortellini Baked Pasta
- Pasta with Creamy Pesto
- Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
- High Protein Pasta Salad
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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces protein pasta
- 16 ounces roasted red bell peppers drained
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add protein pasta (or other pasta) and follow the package's instructions for cook time.8 ounces protein pasta
- While the pasta is boiling, add the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend 1-2 minutes until smooth.16 ounces roasted red bell peppers, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- When the pasta is done, drain into a colander. Add the pasta back to the pot (off of the heat) and stir in the sauce. If you're adding any other ingredients, like shredded chicken, ground meat, or spinach, stir them in now, too. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.salt and pepper to taste
- Serve pasta, adding any optional garnishes, like a sprinkle of parmesan, and enjoy!