Description
A creamy, flavorful Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Fettucine Alfredo featuring roasted red bell peppers, garlic, and a rich cheese sauce, perfect for a comforting vegetarian main course.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Roasted Vegetables
- 6 large red bell peppers, cut into quarters with seeds and membranes removed
- 2 heads of garlic, roasted and mashed (about 2 tablespoons)
Pasta
- 16 ounces fettuccine
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup nonfat milk
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the Peppers: Preheat your oven to broil. Place red bell pepper quarters skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for about 15 minutes until the skins are blackened all around.
- Steam and Peel Peppers: Remove from oven and place peppers into a sealed ziplock bag for 10 minutes to steam. Then remove the skins with your fingers; they should slip right off. Roughly chop the softened peppers and set aside.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté Onions: In a 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. If using raw garlic, add it in the last minute of cooking (for this recipe, garlic is roasted, so it will be added later).
- Puree Vegetables: Transfer the roasted peppers, mashed garlic, and cooked onions to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Prepare Sauce: Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Pour the red pepper puree into the pot. Add the broth, heavy cream, nonfat milk, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Finish Sauce and Combine: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Add half the cooked pasta to the sauce and gently toss to coat. Add the remaining pasta and toss again until evenly coated.
- Serve: Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, then serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Roasting the peppers brings out a smoky sweetness that’s key to the sauce’s depth of flavor.
- If you don’t have a broiler, you can roast the peppers in a 450°F oven until blackened.
- For a lighter dish, substitute half and half for heavy cream and milk.
- You can use vegetable broth to keep this dish vegetarian; chicken broth works well if not vegetarian.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts better and offers more flavor than pre-grated varieties.
- Be careful not to overcook pasta to maintain a perfect al dente texture for tossing with sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
