Roasted Tomato and Bell Pepper Pasta
Pairing red bell peppers with tomatoes is one of my favorite ways to add natural sweetness and vibrances to a dish. In this sauce, for instance they work together beautifully. This Roasted Tomato and Bell Pepper pasta is all about a few simple ingredients. It can be slow roasted in the oven or made a little bit quicker in the instant pot. In any instance, it is a vibrant, vegan and crowd-pleasing dish. For some crunch and texture, I finish this with toasted walnuts. While the vegetables roast it might feel like it is going nowhere, this is where the blender comes in handy. It takes these soft flavor rich vegetables and blends into a luscious and vibrant sauce.
A visual love affair
Being an extremely visual person, I am very partial to red bell peppers. Bell peppers do bring more to the table than just the good looks. The inherent deep red color and sweet and fragrant flavors of the bell pepper make it a very versatile vegetable. I had first started with using them in kebabs. which I now cannot make without them. Then I gradually progressed to using them in Indian curries where I wanted a greater depth of flavor. Finally, I headed to the final frontier and began roasting them and marrying them with tomatoes. This is the ultimate love.
By the way on a totally different note, if like me you want a little lovely pick me up, try reading this piece. Totally touching and beautiful!
This can be done by either roasting the vegetables in a sheet pan or sautéing the vegetables and doing a quick cook in the instant pot. Both methods work, the roasting yields a slightly deeper flavor but cooks longer. As the vegetables cook, finish cooking the pasta and toasting the walnuts or almonds. And then it takes all of five to puree and toss everything together.
A simple recipe for pasta made with fresh roasted vegetables, tossed in with walnuts.
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1/3 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups pasta cooked according to the directions on the package
- 3 tablespoons toasted walnuts or almonds
- Finely chopped basil or parsley to finish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Chop the bell peppers and the tomatoes. Place on a sheet pan with the extra virgin olive oil. Add in the garlic and the onion and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.
- Deglaze with the white wine.
- If using the instant pot, set on sauté mode and add in the olive oil and add the chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add in the white wine and deglaze the pot. Set to zero minutes of pressure and release pressure after 10 minutes.
- Place the mixture in a blender, add in the salt, sugar, red pepper flakes and the coconut milk and puree until smooth.
- Toss with the pasta, toasted nuts and basil or parsley. Finish with a few grinds of black pepper.
Notes
A lot of the cooking is done in the oven without much attention.