Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta

A bowl of Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta is the perfect way to embrace the natural sweetness of roasted vegetables while indulging in a rich, velvety sauce. The roasting process intensifies the flavour of cherry tomatoes and sweet pointed peppers, creating a sauce that is both deep and vibrant. When paired with mascarpone, parmigiano reggiano, and fresh basil, the result is a dish that feels decadent yet balanced. This is the kind of meal that makes midweek dinners feel like something special.

See how I make this recipe here.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Breakdown
• The Art of Slow Roasting
• Mascarpone vs. Other Creamy Elements: Why It Works Best
• Choosing the Right Pasta
• Pasta Water: The Key to a Cohesive Sauce
• Customise Your Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta
• More Pasta Recipes

Ingredient Breakdown

• Cherry tomatoes: Small but packed with sweetness, these become beautifully jammy when roasted.
• Sweet pointed peppers: These peppers add a natural, mellow sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Rosemary: Earthy and aromatic, it infuses the roasted vegetables with subtle depth.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds richness and helps caramelise the vegetables during roasting.
• Garlic: Roasted whole, it turns buttery and sweet, blending effortlessly into the sauce.
• Dried pasta: A sturdy base that soaks up the luscious sauce.
• Mascarpone: A creamy, mild cheese that lends silkiness to the dish.
• Parmigiano reggiano: Savoury and nutty, it deepens the sauce’s complexity.
• Fresh basil: Bright, fragrant, and essential for that final fresh touch.

The Art of Slow Roasting

Roasting is more than just a cooking method, it’s a way to enhance the natural flavours of ingredients. For Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta, slow-roasting the cherry tomatoes and sweet pointed peppers at a moderate temperature allows their natural sugars to develop fully. As they cook, their moisture content reduces, intensifying their sweetness and umami notes.

The key to perfect roasting is ensuring even caramelisation. Spacing the ingredients out in the roasting tin prevents them from steaming, which can leave them mushy instead of slightly charred and flavourful. The addition of rosemary further elevates the dish, infusing the vegetables with a subtle, woodsy aroma as they soften and collapse into a jammy consistency.

Roasting garlic separately but within the same heat environment ensures it cooks gently. When wrapped in foil with a drizzle of oil, it steams inside its own skin, becoming tender and spreadable. This technique removes its sharpness and replaces it with a mellow, almost buttery depth that works beautifully in creamy sauces.

Mascarpone vs. Other Creamy Elements: Why It Works Best

When creating a velvety pasta sauce, several options come to mind: heavy cream, ricotta, or crème fraîche. Each brings a different texture and level of richness, but mascarpone remains the superior choice for Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta.

Mascarpone has a higher fat content than standard cream but lacks the tanginess of crème fraîche or sour cream, making it a neutral yet luxurious base. Unlike ricotta, which can have a grainy texture, mascarpone melts smoothly into the sauce, blending seamlessly with the roasted vegetables. The result is a sauce that is indulgent but not overly heavy, allowing the sweetness of the tomatoes and peppers to remain the star of the dish.

Additionally, mascarpone’s mildness allows the salty, nutty notes of parmigiano reggiano to stand out. The two work together, with parmesan adding complexity while mascarpone ensures a silky finish. For a slightly lighter variation, a spoonful of Greek yoghurt or blended cottage cheese could offer a tangy alternative, though they will alter the final texture.

Choosing the Right Pasta

The choice of pasta plays a significant role in how well the sauce adheres. Short shapes with ridges, such as rigatoni or penne, work well because they hold onto the creamy sauce, ensuring each bite is packed with flavour. If you prefer long pasta, tagliatelle or fettuccine are excellent choices as their wide, flat surfaces provide the perfect canvas for the sauce to cling to.

Cooking the pasta in generously salted water is crucial. Salted water enhances the pasta’s flavour, and reserving some of the starchy cooking water is essential for creating a silky, emulsified sauce. When the pasta is combined with the roasted vegetable mixture, a splash of pasta water helps loosen the sauce and bind everything together.

Pasta Water: The Key to a Cohesive Sauce

One of the most overlooked yet essential elements in pasta-making is starchy pasta water. The reserved water from cooking pasta isn’t just a byproduct, it’s an emulsifying agent that brings the entire dish together. In Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta, a small splash of pasta water helps loosen the sauce, ensuring that the mascarpone, parmesan, and roasted vegetables cling to the pasta strands without feeling too thick or clumpy.

Pasta water contains dissolved starch from the pasta, which acts as a natural thickener. This starch binds the sauce ingredients together, creating a cohesive, glossy finish. When adding pasta water, it’s best to do so gradually, stirring continuously to reach the perfect consistency. Too much can dilute the sauce, while just the right amount creates a silky coating that envelops every bite.

Customise Your Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta

One of the best things about this recipe is its versatility. You can easily adapt it to suit different preferences or dietary needs:

• Add protein: Stir in cooked chicken, crispy pancetta, or grilled prawns for an extra layer of flavour and texture.
• Make it spicy: A pinch of red chilli flakes or a drizzle of chilli oil adds a welcome kick.
• Go dairy-free: Swap mascarpone for a plant-based cream alternative and use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
• Boost the veggies: Stir in spinach, courgettes, or roasted aubergines for extra colour and nutrients.

More Pasta Recipes

We all love pasta, there’s no denying it. So if you’re looking for more recipes just like this Creamy Tomato and Pepper Pasta, then here you go:

• Creamy Red Pepper Pasta: It’s amazing how a little onion, garlic, tomato purée, peppers and cream can come together in mere minutes to make a delicious, deeply-flavoured sauce. 
• Creamy Tomato Pasta: Comfort food at its finest! Adding mascarpone and parmigiano reggiano to traditional marinara makes for a delicious pasta sauce. 
• Creamy Tomato and Harissa Pasta: This tasty pasta number is the perfect balance of flavours. It’s creamy and bright, with just a hint of spice from the harissa.
• Aubergine (Eggplant) & Tomato Pasta: A delicious vegan pasta dish that even the most avid of meat eaters will love! The sauce combines rosemary roasted aubergine with a tasty tomato sauce.