Roasted red pepper rigatoni pasta is a new vision of the standard dish. If you are bored with regular pasta with mayo and ketchup, then this recipe is for you.
Do not ignore aromatic pasta with roasted peppers even if you are already an experienced culinary chef.
What is the difference between penne and rigatoni?
Perhaps not everyone paid attention, but there are differences between the two varieties of pasta. The name “penne” comes from the Italian “goose feather”. And if you look closely, you will see the pointed ends at the edges.
This allows the paste to take on more sauce. Penne can be either smooth or ribbed. Well, rigatoni is slightly shorter and wider than a penne. In appearance, they can be straight or curved, but always ribbed.
Moreover, it is the ribbed surface that allows you to delay a larger amount of sauce on the top.
How to make rigatoni pasta from scratch?
Follow the recipe below, and make sure to read through the frequently asked questions and pro tips to bake the Best Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni.
- Step 1. Boil water in a large pot. Add salt and boil rigatoni pasta according to the instructions on the package. I prefer al dente. Drain, return to the pot and cover with a lid.
- Step 2. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Heat butter in a pan and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes or until transparent.
- Step 3. Add chopped garlic to the onion. Stir and cook for another 1 minute.
- Step 4. Pour half-and-half into the pan and simmer a little.
- Step 5. Add cream cheese and parmesan. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until the cream cheese is completely melted.
- Step 6. Add roasted red peppers to warm them up a bit.
- Step 7. Gently transfer the sauce from the pan to the blender bowl and beat until smooth. Try the sauce, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 8. Pour hot sauce into the paste, mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with fresh or dried basil and finely grated parmesan on top.
How long does it take to cook rigatoni pasta?
The whole process of cooking this dish will take no more than 20 minutes. While the pasta is boiling, you quickly cook everything in a pan. By the time the pasta is cooked, the sauce will be ready.
The cooking time for my pasta is 10 minutes.
But this time can vary from 7 to 20 minutes, depending on the type of flour from which they are made. Thus, for best results, follow the instructions on the packaging.
What to serve with rigatoni pasta?
Here are some of my favorite variations:
Reuben Bake, Corned Beef Hash, Classic caesar salad, Caprese salad, Eggplant baked with parmesan, Asparagus baked in prosciutto slices, You can also serve fried meat or poultry.
RECIPE TIPS
- Thoroughly beat the sauce until smooth if you like it that way. If you want to give texture to a dish with visible pieces, beat the sauce with short pulses until the desired result.
- Try to choose a paste with crests and cavities. So the sauce will be better to stick on the pasta and fill all the holes. Perfect for this recipe: rigatoni, bowtie, elbow, and penne.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
- Creamy Chicken Bake
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
- Thai Massaman Curry In Instant Pot Or Stovetop
- Alice Springs Chicken Recipe (outback Copycat)
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (approximately 3-4 cloves)
- 3 shallots (thinly sliced (or 1/2 medium yellow onion))
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup half-and-half (or sub with milk of choice or heavy cream)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened to room temp and cubed)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers (in water) (drained and rinsed)
Garnishment
- Fresh or dried basil
- Grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water according to the instructions. Drain the water.
- In a preheated pan, melt the butter and fry the shallots until transparent. Then add chopped garlic.
- Pour in half-and-half, then cream cheese and parmesan. Cook until the cream cheese has melted.
- Add roasted red peppers to warm them up.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender and beat until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the sauce with the paste. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan.
Notes
- To prevent the pasta from sticking after cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and mix.2. Half-and-half you can replace with 10% cream.
- Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator in advance ta take room temperature. Then it will melt faster in the pan. Or simply chop it into small pieces with a knife.
- You can whip the sauce using an immersion blender or in the food processor.
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THE BEST pasta sauce I’ve ever made (which is really saying something since I make a mean roasted garlic alfredo)! So much flavor!!! I did add sausage and sautéed bell peppers to make the dish a little more hearty. This recipe is a keeper!
Delicious— I roasted my own peppers as I don’t care for the taste of bottled roasted peppers. We had this as a meatless dinner along with salad and garlic bread.