Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce. This is a dish full of Mediterranean flavors that makes it so delicious in every bite, from the sun-dried tomatoes to the smoky red pepper. A great weeknight meal for the family. Try it today!
Song of the day: "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone
Pasta as part of a Mediterranean diet
We mostly follow a Mediterranean diet and we could eat pasta every day. Pasta doesn't make you overweight (and in Italy we are living proof of this) and it is not unhealthy. It depends on how much you eat of it (portion control), the type of sauce, the quality of the pasta, and what you eat with it. As a matter of fact, we try to differentiate the meals so to have variety and balance, and pasta is on our menu usually twice per week (when we are in Italy every day), together with fish, white meat, eggs, or legumes, and lots of vegetables and fruit. Last but not least, let's not forget the king of the Mediterranean diet: the extra virgin olive oil.
Shapes and sauces
There are so many different shapes and sizes of pasta that you can never be bored with. Also so many sauces to dress your pasta. Here are some we make on rotation: fresh tomato sauce; simple and flavorful, oil, garlic and chili pepper; hearty pasta and beans; delectable vegetable and pesto sauce, and more.
Pairing the correct pasta shape can make a big difference in the overall satisfaction when eating pasta. For this recipe, we chose farfalle (bowties) because they are great with intense fragrances and flavors, its ribbon-like pleats are perfect for the creamy sauces to pool in.
Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
The pasta we are sharing today is a deliciously creamy rosé sauce with a blend of roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes.
Ingredients
A few good quality ingredients make for a big success:
- farfalle pasta
- organic red peppers roasted in the oven
- sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- extra virgin olive oil
- whipping cream
- garlic
- shallots
- salt & pepper
- chili peppers, optional
- basil
Oven Roasted Peppers
Roasting peppers in the oven is healthy and delicious and something every Italian family does.
- Place the peppers on the top rack in the oven, and a rimmed baking sheet filled halfway with water underneath them. That helps to keep the peppers moist while catching the dripping juices.
- You can broil the peppers on low for a few minutes, checking on them constantly and turning them as they char on one side.
- In order to remove the skin, cooling them in a sealed plastic bag (or wrapping them in paper or plastic) helps loosen the skin from the flesh of the peppers.
- You can afterwards discard the stem, core and seeds, and chop them.
Bringing the flavors to another level
Kitchen Tip:
Make sure to drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes before cutting them and placing them in the pan.
To get the maximum flavor out of the sauce we do this:
- Firstly, drizzle some evo oil into a deep saute pan, toss in the minced garlic and shallot. Let that sauté until the garlic starts to toast, and the shallot softens.
- Secondly, add in the chopped chili, peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 4 minutes, then add the whipping cream. Let that simmer until the sauce thickens a bit then turn off heat.
Top Tip
If you want to get more flavor in the sauce, scoop some of the sauteed garlic, peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes and place them in a food processor with some whipping cream. Blitz until well blended and creamy and set aside to add to your pasta.
Multi tasking
We want to save time, so as the sauce is coming together:
- Have a large pot of salted water on boil and commence to cook your pasta.
- Cook it for the suggested time on the package. However, we are going to finish the pasta in the sauce so take it out a minute or so before.
- Scoop the pasta with a spider or strainer and toss it into the pan with the creamy sauce. Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it for the sauce later.
Final touches to this Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Remember that we made a creamy sauce in the food processor? Now is the time we are going to add it to the pan and give the whole thing a good toss on low heat. Just a couple more things:
- If the sauce gets too thick, add some of the pasta water to thin it out.
- Grate some good Parmigiano over top, don't be shy!
- Sprinkle in fresh chopped basil.
Pasta is always a good choice
When you think there's nothing in the fridge, or feel you don't have much time or energy to cook a meal for your family, just think of making a pasta dish. Quick, easy, always satisfyng, and if done properly, the best "fast food" you'll ever have. This Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce fits the bill perfectly!
The marriage between roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes is a match made in heaven. Blended in a cream sauce, they are flavorsome and oh-so-tasty you are going to lick the plate or use some bread to collect the last drippings of it (we call it scarpetta).
Time for a taste!
This bowl of Farfalle with sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper cream sauce is beautiful and absolutely delicious: the right amount of creamy, packed with intense flavors from the sun-dried tomatoes to the smoky roasted peppers. The farfalle are the perfect pasta for this sauce. The creaminess just lingers on the folds of the pasta, and the shape is just whimsical and luxurious at the same time.
Buon Appetito!
PrintFarfalle with Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Farfalle with Sun-dried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce. This is a dish full of Mediterranean flavors that makes it so delicious in every bite, from the sun dried tomatoes to the smoky red pepper. A great week night meal for the family. Try it today!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped (2 red bell peppers)
- ¼ teaspoons minced red chili (optional)
- ⅔ cup whipping cream, divided
- 350/400 g farfalle (bow ties) pasta
- 30 g freshly grated Parmigiano
- a few basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
Roasting the peppers:
- Wash the peppers and place them whole in the oven on the top shelf. Place a rimmed baking sheet filled half with water underneath them. That helps to keep them moist while catching the juices dripping from the roasting peppers.
- Grill on low for a few minutes, checking on them constantly and turning them as they char on one side.
- Place roasted peppers in either a plastic bag or paper bag. When cool, take them out, remove the skin and discard the core and seeds.
- Roughly chop and set aside.
Making the cream sauce:
- In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook minced garlic and shallot until garlic is toasted and shallots have softened slightly, about 1 minute. Toss in minced red chilis (optional).
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
- Take three tablespoons of the saute mixture and place it in a food processor. Add ⅓ of the whipping cream and blitz unti well incorporated. Set aside, this will be used when the pasta goes in the pan.
- Pour the rest of the whipping cream into the pan with the sauteed mixture. Simmer until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the time indicated on the package minus 2 minutes.
- Drain, but keep ½ cup of the water in case you need to lighten the sauce if it gets too thick.
- Place the pasta in the saucepan with the sauce and toss to coat well.
- Add in your sauce from the food processor and give it a good stir. Cook on low for another 2 minutes.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add some of the pasta water at this time.
- Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano, and toss in chopped basil.
- Plate, dust with more grated Parmigiano, and it is ready to serve.
Notes
If the cream sauce gets too thick, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
I don't know if you got the memo but I'm supposed to be on a low carb diet and no one can make any pasta dishes until I lose the 5 pounds I gained over the holidays. hahaha! Seriously, what is this "in moderation" you speak of because I can't do that rule when there's pasta around. Also, I totally agree with you that sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red bell peppers are a match made in heaven. Along with cream sauce and pasta. Oh my, I love those two together and now I'll have to make your recipe. I'll just make a little bit for the hubby J and I and serve it with grilled chicken breasts and a big salad. YUM! 🙂
Oh, Karrie, I've just taken your comment out of the spam folder! I don't know how it happened, but in the end, after few months, here you are 🙂 . Thanks so much for your comment. It is actually on of the most flavorful pasta dishes we've ever eaten! I was getting so depressed that nobody was commenting on such a great dish! Hope you made it, for you and J. I'd like to know how you liked it 😉 .
Leslie says
I also could easy pasta everyday! What a great recipe for the whole family. I'm loving your red pepper sauce! So perfect!
Bernice says
Hahaha, I'm never shy about Parmigiano! Love this bright, yet comforting pasta sauce. It's so full of flavour it fools everyone into thinking you've been cooking all day. Farfalle is my least favourite pasta shape though, what other shape would you suggest for this sauce?
That's a good thing not to be shy with Parmigiano, especially if it's the real thing 🙂 . It's a great sauce, not too heavy and very tasty. If not with farfalle I would choose a tubular pasta such as rigatoni, mezze maniche, penne, tortiglioni, lumache (snails). It might be good also with long pasta but I just can't see this sauce with it 😉 .
Marta says
I was sent some amazing sun-dried tomatoes from Italy and wanted to use them in a special recipe this past weekend. This farfalle recipe was so easy to follow and the results were amazingly tasty!
veenaazmanov says
I loved your recipe with the Sun Dried Tomato combination. Such meals are my family favorite. My weekend is surely special.
Cathleen says
This pasta is so perfect!! I am going to be making this over and over this month, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Kathryn says
This was such an incredible dinner! Loved the sun dried tomatoes and red pepper sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Mikayla says
One of my go to meals is pasta with tomatoes and a light sauce, so I had to give this a try. My goodness the roasted pepper sauce is fantastic!
Dennis says
What a perfectly delicious pasta dish. I love red pepper sauce and the sun dried tomatoes went perfectly with it.
Jamie says
I had a jar of sun dried tomatoes in my fridge and this was the perfect way to use it. My family loved the farfalle and we all had seconds!
Mimi Rippee says
This is a fabulous pasta! I love that you combined sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red bell peppers. Such great flavors!
Thank you! Yes, the two go so well together!
Savita says
Perfect pasta dinner, everyone in the family loved it. It was simple yet very flavourful.
Thank you! Gotta love those simple flavorful dishes! 😉
Jim Giacomo Delaney says
Ciao amici, ho preparato questa pasta oggi a pranzo per i miei amici ed era buonissima. L’hanno adorato 🙂 Ciao G
Grazie Jim Giacomo! Siamo proprio contenti! Io domani parto e torno in Canada! Sono felice ma anche mi dispiace. Un abbraccio!