Description
Roasted red peppers, cashews, and hemp seeds blend into a velvety, dairy-free sauce that rivals Alfredo—smoky, vibrant, and packed with plant-based protein. Toss with hot pasta for a fast, cozy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta & Dairy-Free Red Pepper Sauce
- 4 small roasted red peppers
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (use as needed to thin sauce)
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 16 oz pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)
- fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Roast the Peppers: Preheat oven to broil. Place whole red peppers on the top rack and broil until skins are blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes per side.
- Peel & Prep: Let peppers cool. Peel off charred skins, remove stems and seeds, and transfer flesh to a blender.
- Blend the Sauce: Add garlic powder, hemp seeds, cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, cayenne, salt, and 1/2 cup pasta water to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding more pasta water as needed for a creamy, pourable sauce.
- Cook the Pasta: Boil pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water; drain.
- Combine & Serve: Toss hot pasta with red pepper sauce until coated, loosening with reserved water as needed. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Notes
Steam roasted peppers in a covered bowl to loosen skins. Sauce thickens as it cools—loosen with warm water or plant milk. Great with gluten-free pasta. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of liquid.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired, Vegan
Nutrition
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 720
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 85
- Fiber: 9
- Protein: 22
