October 29, 2023

Pasta with Roasted Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce

Sweet and silky, yellow peppers bring the sunshine to this bell pepper sauce, perfect for topping pasta when you’re looking for something to shake up your tomato sauce routine. Onions are garlic make sure that your pasta sauce stays on track, and a couple herbs and spices lend a hand, but bell peppers are truly the star of this show. Toss some pasta in this yellow bell pepper sauce to coat every noodle in deliciousness, and top with toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley. Bon Appetit!

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All About Bell Peppers

Bell peppers, known as capsicum in the UK, are a popular and colorful, large and in charge, sweet and crunchy vegetable (well, technically a fruit but that’s another story). They are most commonly green, yellow, orange and red, but also grow in varieties that are purple, brown, and almost whitish yellow. For commonly colored bell peppers, the greens, yellows, oranges and reds are all the same pepper picked at different stages of ripeness. Because of that, the least ripe versions of the peppers (the green ones) are the least sweet, and the most ripe versions (the red ones) are the sweetest. They have a sweet, vegetable flavor and a crisp, crunchy texture. When cooked they become softer and more flexible. The inside of a bell pepper is hallow, with the exception of a collection of seeds that are attached to the cap with a white membrane and can easily be scooped out. Bell peppers are the only member of the pepper family not to produce capsaicin, the compound that gives most chilis there spicy flavor. Fun fact unrelated to bell peppers, but birds don’t have the ability to taste capsaicin and it’s spicy qualities, and because of that they will happily much on ghost peppers and Carolina reapers with no ill effects, later going on to spread the seeds of the chili in their waste.

While bell peppers are available year round thanks to global food systems, you are most likely to find locally grown fresh peppers seasonally in August and September in New England. Peppers are best stored in your crisper drawer, and should keep for at least a week or more. Bell peppers are delicious both raw and cooked. The seeds are typically removed because the flavor and texture don’t add much to a dish, but are safe to ingest if you miss a few. A raw bell pepper provides approximately 97% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, and—despite a natural sweetness—only contains 2 grams of sugar per serving. Red bell peppers also feature vitamin A and beta carotene, while most peppers have trace amounts of vitamin K and vitamin B1 as well.

Looking for other Non-Tomato Pasta Sauces? Try one of these!

Looking for Recipes that Use Bell Peppers? Try one of these!

How to Make Yellow Bell Pepper Pasta Sauce

This recipe doesn’t take a lot to put together, just a few minutes under the broiler and a blitz in the food processor. Make a little pasta to go underneath the sauce, and you’ve got sunshine on your table in just about 15 minutes.

To start off, you’ll want to set your broiler on high and place the bell peppers, onion, and garlic cloves on a baking tray under the broiler. Broiling is a really quick way to soften and char the peppers, and since you don’t need to wait for the oven to preheat they cook a lot quicker. You’ll want the peppers to soften before blending, and a little charring adds a great, smoky flavor.

Blend to get a creamy texture, and add olive oil to make it richer. A little apple cider vinegar, chili pepper, thyme, and salt and pepper add the other flavor elements. Blend or process until completely smooth, and voila, you’ve made a sauce!

I like to add this sauce to a pan and toss freshly cooked pasta into it. For an extra fancy feel with minimal effort nothing works better than toasted pine nuts to elevate the flavor. Some chopped parsley adds a little freshness and a pop of color. A few chili flakes can also add a little visual interest.

And that’s it! A simple and delicious pasta dish that’s vibrant. Savory with a touch of vegetable sweetness, it makes the best of bell peppers. It will fill you up and will give you a break from the classic pasta and tomato sauce.

Pasta with Roasted Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

2 golden bell peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
¼ cup olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried chili flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked pasta, for serving
Optional: Chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts for serving

Instructions

Turn your ovens broiler on high and lightly grease a baking sheet or line with a silicone mat. Half your peppers and remove the seeds, before placing them on the baking sheet. Remove the skin from the garlic, and peel and half the onion. Place them all on the baking sheet together, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Place the baking sheet with the vegetables under the broiler and cook for about 10 minutes, until the peppers have a little charring and have softened. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until they are able to be handled.
Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender, along with the olive oil, vinegar, thyme, and chili flakes. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
To serve, toss freshly cooked pasta in your yellow pepper sauce. Top with chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts, as desired.

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