Pasta Shells with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce all over Pasta Shells with Italian Sausage. The perfect fall comfort food.

You guys, this roasted red pepper sauce with pasta shells and Italian sausage is simply the best comfort food out there. You see this time of year I view comfort food as a necessity to motivate me to get my butt outside and go for a walk or run so I can continue to eat my comfort food! Salads are great too in the fall if your pantry is stocked with craisins, roasted almonds, and quinoa to give your salad some substance. But every once in awhile, I reach for my comfort food to remind myself that I am absolutely 100% due for some exercise. It’s the perfect reminder! 😂

Here are the main ingredients in this Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

• 3 Roasted Red Peppers
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

The Red Bell Peppers are roasted under the broiler for 5-10 minutes. In a large fry pan, the onions and garlic are cooked and combined with the chopped roasted red peppers, seasonings, and Parmesan. The mixture is then pureed in a food processor and returned to the pan.

To thin the sauce out a little, 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water is added to it. Stir in the pasta until it is coated and dinner is on its waaaay!! I added Italian sausage to the pasta because I love how much flavor sausage already has. You could also serve it with chicken breasts.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is a nice variation to the usual marinara sauce. And the Italian sausage add some spiciness to the meal that I just can’t get over. It’s the perfect combination!

I gotta divulge something- so my husband gave this meal an 8.75. Pretty good, right?! Well I’m going to let you in on another little secret. I ate my bowl of pasta and felt pretty darn good about the results. Well for an 8.75, my husband ate his, went back to the pan of pasta and finished off the rest of these delicious pasta shells with roasted red pepper sauce. 8.75, huh?! Whatevs.

Happy Monday and to all those comfort food vibes…let’s keep ’em coming!

One more secret…after days and days of heavy clouds I didn’t pay close enough attention to my camera settings and the sun was a wee bit brighter than I was thinking. I promise the pasta doesn’t look so orange in real life. 😳

Pasta Shells with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Megan

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce all over Pasta Shells with Italian Sausage. The perfect fall comfort food.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dinner

Cuisine Pasta

Ingredients

  

• 3 red bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• 8 oz medium pasta shells
• 1 cup kale chopped
• 3/4 lb Italian sausage

Instructions

 

Roast Red Peppers

• Preheat broiler for 5 minutes.
• While preheating, slice red peppers in half and remove seeds and membranes. Now is also a good time to chop up onion and garlic. Place pepper halves on baking sheet, skin side up. Broil for 5-10 minutes, checking frequently until skin is charred.
• Remove skin on peppers that is easy to remove, trying to get most of it off. If it's not that easy, just leave it on because it will still taste great.
• Coarsely chop red peppers. Set aside

Cook Pasta

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta shells 1-2 minutes short of al dente according to package instructions. DON'T forget to reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for later.

Red Pepper Sauce

• Meanwhile, in a dutch oven or large fry pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add onion, and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for about another minute.
• Add in the chopped red peppers.
• Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse until it reaches a sauce consistency. Add Spanish paprika, salt and pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Pulse 1-2 more times.
• Return mixture to fry pan and add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. Stir mixture until combined.
• Add pasta and stir to coat. Add remaining 1/4 cup pasta water if needed and stir it up good. Toss in chopped kale and stir.
• Cook on medium low for 5-10 minutes to let flavors combine.

Brown Sausage

• In a separate fry pan, cook Italian sausage until browned, approximately 8-10 minutes. Add sausage to pasta and stir to combine. Serve.

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