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Italian

Roasted Red Pepper Farfalle

Blended roasted red peppers make a smooth pink sauce for bow-tie pasta with a little cream and garlic. It tastes bright and mildly sweet without long simmering.

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Farfalle in creamy roasted red pepper sauce with basil leaves

Photo: wickenden (CC BY-SA). Source

Why you’ll love it

  • Jarred roasted peppers blend into sauce in minutes.
  • A small amount of cream rounds the pepper flavor.
  • Farfalle catches the sauce in its folds.
  • The blender does most of the work.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil farfalle in salted water until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water and drain.

  2. 2

    Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. 3

    Blend roasted peppers, cooked garlic and oil, cream, salt, paprika, and black pepper until smooth.

  4. 4

    Pour sauce into the skillet and simmer 3 to 4 minutes.

  5. 5

    Add pasta, Parmesan, and enough pasta water to loosen. Toss until coated.

  6. 6

    Fold in basil and serve.

Pro tips

  • Drain peppers well so the sauce is not watery.
  • Blend thoroughly for a silky texture.
  • Add pasta water gradually; the sauce thickens as it cools.

Easy substitutions

heavy cream
half-and-half
farfalle
penne or rotini
smoked paprika
sweet paprika

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

Heat on the stove with a splash of water or milk, stirring often.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
490
Protein
16 g
Carbs
62 g
Fat
20 g
Fiber
4 g

Moderate · Stovetop · Vegetarian

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

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  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients