Vegan Creamy Red Pepper Pasta (Printable)

Silky plant-based pasta with smoky roasted peppers and lentils in a smooth, savory sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz dried penne or fusilli pasta

→ Sauce Base

02 - 2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3/4 cup cooked brown or green lentils, drained
06 - 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
09 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh basil leaves
15 - Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast
16 - Crushed red pepper flakes

# How to Make It:

01 - Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Combine sautéed onion and garlic, roasted red peppers, cooked lentils, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
04 - Return sauce to skillet over low heat. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Adjust consistency by adding reserved pasta water gradually until desired thickness is achieved. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
05 - Add drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
06 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish immediately with fresh basil, vegan parmesan, and red pepper flakes if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lentils hide so completely that even skeptics swear it's loaded with creaminess from actual dairy.
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, yet tastes like you've been stirring that pot for hours.
  • One bowl genuinely fills you up without the post-pasta energy crash, thanks to all that plant protein doing its quiet work.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining those lentils thoroughly—excess moisture will make your sauce watery no matter how long you blend it.
  • The pasta water is your safety net; adding it slowly means you can always make the sauce looser, but you can't undo it once you've added too much.
  • Taste the sauce before tossing with pasta because once it's all mixed together, it's much harder to adjust the seasoning.
03 -
  • Roast your own peppers if you have time—jarred are convenient but homemade ones have a deeper, more complex flavor that really shines through.
  • Keep the blender jar warm before adding hot ingredients; it prevents the sauce from cooling down too quickly and helps maintain that velvety texture.
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