Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cheesy Pistachio Breadcrumbs
With an ingredients list composed of primarily pantry staples, this Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cheesy Pistachio Breadcrumbs is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet decadent enough for a fancy date-night in. Either way, this dish is sure to be on regular rotation.
Ingredients
- 1- pound thick pasta noodles such as Bucatini or Linguine
- ¾ cup vegan shredded vegan parmesan such as Follow Your Heart or Violife, plus more for garnish *see recipe notes*
- ½ cup Salted Pistachio Kernels
- zest of 1 small lemon, plus the juice, divided
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup roughly chopped shallots about 2 shallots
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 1 cup soy milk
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon each: kosher salt fresh ground black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- Fresh minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
Boil the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles following the package instructions until they are just tender (al dente). Before draining, save 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta but don't rinse it. Keep the pot for later.
Make the Cheesy Pistachio Breadcrumbs
- Meanwhile, place the parmesan, pistachios, and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until a crumb forms (about 5 to 10 seconds).
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the pistachio crumbs, panko breadcrumbs, and season with the garlic powder. Stir often and cook until the mixture becomes golden-brown and crispy (about 5 to 7 minutes). Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Prepare the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- In the same skillet you used for the breadcrumbs, add the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Sauté until the shallots become translucent and the garlic smells fragrant (about 4 to 5 minutes).
- Transfer the sautéed shallots and garlic to a blender along with the roasted red peppers, soy milk, broth, basil, tomato paste, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and ground fennel. Blend until you have a smooth and creamy sauce.
Combine Sauce and Pasta
- Pour the sauce and the reserved pasta water back into the large pot where you cooked the noodles. Simmer the sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cooked, drained noodles to the pot. Toss everything together and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it sits.
Serve
- Divide the pasta into shallow pasta bowls. Sprinkle each serving with the cheesy pistachio breadcrumbs, extra vegan parmesan shreds, and fresh minced parsley. ENJOY!
Notes
* I find vegan parmesan-style shreds accessible. Common brands that are shredded are Follow Your Heart and 365 by Whole Foods. Another brand I tend to reach for is Violife, which comes in a block, so you’ll need to shred it yourself. Alternatively, there are some brands that carry grated vegan parmesan (similar to the Kraft brand). If you’re able to find grated vegan parmesan, then no need to pulse it in the food processor! Furthermore, if you’re unable to access vegan-friendly parmesan, then you can substitute it for equal parts nutritional yeast. If you do so, no need to pulse that in a food processor, either, as it’s already quite flaky.
* If you plan on having leftovers, you can store the sauce and pasta noodles separately instead of tossing altogether to maintain freshness.
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