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Roasted Red Pepper and Mascarpone Pasta

4 main-dish portions Active 20 min Total 55 min

Red bell peppers can make a vivid pasta sauce without a trace of chili heat. Roasting draws out their sweetness and softens their flesh enough to blend into a smooth coating for fusilli. A little mascarpone rounds the flavor, while lemon juice keeps the finished dish lively. This is a useful dinner when the refrigerator looks sparse: the peppers do most of the work, and the pasta water supplies the extra body. Choose ordinary sweet red bell peppers, not long red chilies or a jar labeled hot.

Jump to the ingredients

Coral-red roasted bell pepper fusilli with basil ribbons in a pale blue shallow bowl.

Roast well, then loosen the sauce

Spread the pepper pieces in a single layer so they brown rather than steam. The garlic roasts in its skin beside them, becoming mellow and soft. After blending, the sauce will be thick; that is deliberate. Reserved pasta water loosens it without diluting the roasted flavor too much. Add water gradually and toss over low heat until the sauce follows the curves of the fusilli. Serve promptly, keeping a little extra pasta water nearby because mascarpone sauces tighten as they cool. A shallow bowl is useful here: it keeps the pasta gathered while making the warm coral sauce and curved noodles easy to see.

Ingredients

  • 3 large sweet red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g), cored and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 12 oz (340 g) dried fusilli
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) mascarpone
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (25 g) finely grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Set out

Large rimmed sheet pan, Large pasta pot, Blender, Large skillet

Allergens

Wheat, milk. Check ingredient labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the peppers and unpeeled garlic with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt on the sheet pan. Roast for 28–35 minutes, turning once, until the peppers are soft with browned edges.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook the fusilli according to its package until just tender. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water before draining.
  3. Let the roasted vegetables cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze the garlic from its skins. Transfer the peppers, garlic, mascarpone, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup pasta water to the blender; vent the lid and blend until smooth.
  4. Pour the sauce into the skillet over low heat. Add the drained pasta and Parmesan. Toss for 1–2 minutes, adding reserved water a few tablespoons at a time until glossy and evenly coated.
  5. Divide among four bowls and scatter the sliced basil over the top. Serve immediately.

A useful detail

If the peppers are taking on dark edges before the centers soften, turn them and lower the oven to 400°F (200°C) for the final few minutes.

Make it your own

  • Use penne or rigatoni in place of the fusilli, reserving the same amount of cooking water.
  • Replace the basil with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley for a gentler herbal finish.

Keep it well

Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or colder for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce.