Creamy roasted garlic, cherry tomato, and red pepper pasta

I roasted everything in this pasta sauce to make the sauciest, creamiest, roasty-est red pepper pasta imaginable. Toss everything into a blender with a bit of cream cheese and Parmesan for an incredibly creamy and luscious sauce.

I think this was the first time in my adult life that I've roasted peppers myself, and it was immensely satisfying!

Creamy roasted red pepper pasta

3 red bell peppers

1 T olive oil
10 oz cherry or grape tomatoes 
5 garlic cloves
1/2 t  Italian seasoning (optional)
1 t salt
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black and red pepper to taste

1 lb short pasta, like penne or ziti

Roast the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic

Turn your broiler on high. Slice the peppers in half and pull out the seeds and ribs. Place them cut side down on a large sheet pan lined with foil. Place garlic cloves in a small square of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and fold the foil into a little sealed packet. Nestle the cherry tomatoes around the edges of the sheet pan and drizzle them with olive oil, rolling them around until coasted. Turn the broiler on high and place the pan so that the peppers are directly under the heat. The tomatoes and garlic should be off to the sides, getting indirect heat. Broil for about 15 minutes, checking and rotating frequently, until the skin on the peppers has blackened. Tomatoes should be bursting and a little browned in spots, but not charred. Remove all veggies from oven when done. Wrap the bell peppers in foil to steam for 5 minutes, which helps loosen the skin.  Remove foil and allow to cool until safe to handle. Gently peel most of the skin from the pepper flesh—don’t worry about getting it perfect.

Prepare sauce

In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients except pasta. Blend until a smooth, saucy consistency. 

Bringing it all together

Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain. Stir pureed sauce into pasta. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a bit of water to loosen it.