Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
An incredibly creamy, rich alfredo sauce made with roasted red peppers and crumbled goat cheese, and it takes just 20 min to make from start to finish!
When I first saw this recipe on Lauren’s Latest, I knew I had to make it immediately. But of course life happens and deadlines happen and you completely forget about that amazing alfredo sauce you just had to make right then and there. Well, I am happy to report back that after 1 year and 9 months, I finally made it and it was quite an epic dish in our household.
I mean, really, with pasta smothered in a cheesy, creamy red pepper sauce with a generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan, how can you go wrong? And the best part about it is that it comes together in 20 minutes or less from start to finish! I did use jarred roasted red peppers but if you have the time, feel free to roast the peppers. I actually prefer the jarred ones since they’re such a time saver and I always have them stocked in my pantry.
So there you have it – quick, easy, creamy and cheesy. What more could you ask for?
Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in milk, heavy cream, goat cheese and Parmesan until cheeses has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add red peppers and puree with an immersion blender. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Just made this for dinner and made a lazy upgrade, added rotisserie chicken to bulk it up a bit, totally amazing and way to much flavor to be this easy of a dish!
This is very good – didn’t have goat cheese so subbed cream cheese and was delicious – everything else as written – might add some basil next time just at the end – otherwise delicious
ONG DELISH! seriously so good! I didn’t have any goat cheese so I had to skip that ingredient, I used oat milk, and I blended everything, but even with those changes that is one of the best pasta sauces I have ever made.
Easy recipe. Astounding flavor!!! Thanks!!! Fits right in with “meatless Monday!!” Just need a calorie count now, please???
I’m preparing ingredients, I’m curious how many
people will this recipe feed?
One if your hungry enough 😉
THIS WAS AMAZING! I had some multi-coloured peppers that needed to be used up and came across this recipe. I made my own roasted peppers and added some chopped up mushrooms. I used a cauliflower and cheese stuffed ravioli and OMG…YUM! I did not have goat cheese and we are watching our calorie count so just used Parmesan. It was still creamy, delicious and flavourful. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I always add Italian seasoning and canned tuna, which complements the flavors well.
Just made this for dinner. Delicious and easy. I could not find the jarred roasted red peppers last time I went shopping so I picked up jarred red pepper picante. Nice and spicy, rich creamy and decadent.
I’ve made this dish several times. My 4 little picky eaters love it. My husband has requested it on occasion. It’s great.
Wow! I’m full but I keep wanting to go back for more. Not a fan of goat cheese but it MADE the sauce! And finally, we topped it with some crushed red pepper flakes for some spice and that really was the “cherry on top”! A TEN in our book!
So good! Only had 8 ounces of pasta, a garlic basil flavored linguine from Trader Joe’s, but kept the sauce more or less the same substituting half and half for milk and cream and it was still so rich and creamy and yummo! Thanks for another great recipe!
Love this recipe!! We made it “Keto” (or low carb) by substituting zoodles in place of the pasta. We also added grilled chicken which was delicious but my hubby and I agreed that shrimp would probably be better, so we’re making it with shrimp tonight.
I want to make this ahead of time (for tomorrow’s dinner). do you think it will be ok tomorrow as well?
Yes, it reheats well!
If you make one recipe from Pinterest this should be it. I use all milk and substitute cream cheese For goat cheese.
Hello what about subbing the goat cheese with blue cheese ?
What a great idea!
Tried this recipe tonight. Very sad. For some reason the cheeses curdled immediately. I was hoping the more I stirred or after blending it would be ok. Ended up with a pretty awful grainy texture. 🙁
If you used shredded cheese, sometimes it has too much of the cellulose on it that keeps it from sticking.
For any cheese sauces, using block cheese and cutting it yourself will solve this problem.
Made this tonight – followed the directions EXACTLY and it was amazing – totally needed after a particularly crappy day! keep doing what you’re doing girlfriend 🙂
Would this work with zucchini noodles? Love pasta but have always wanted to try zoodles and this shade sounds amazing?!
Sauce not shade 🙂
Yes, absolutely – what a great idea!
I wanted to add some chicken to this dish. Is there any sort of marinade for the chicken that would work well with the red pepper sauce?
Yes! This is my favorite marinade: https://damndelicious.net/2015/06/22/easy-grilled-chicken/.
Thank you for asking this question. I was wondering the same exact thing. I’ve got hungry boys to feed this would alone to them would be an appetizer ♀️
Awesome pasta! Thanks so much for the inspiration. My husband is usually a big carnivore but he fell in love with this recipe and so did I. I have shared it with anyone who will listen to me! 😉
Cannot wait to try this. I would love to see more roasted red pepper recipes from you. Maybe you can whip up something magical with your amazing chicken thighs? Who knows, you are the expert!
I can honestly say I have tried a LOT of your recipes and I have been WOWED every single time. And that says a lot because my parents own a restaurant and my dad went to the CIA. You are the type of home chef that everyone NEEDS, simple delicious food that isn’t boring. Keep up the hard work, know that i’ll be one of the first to buy your cookbook!
This dish is amazing! Comes together so quickly and is restaurant quality. I served it with sauteed chicken breasts, but I think it would be great with shrimp, too! Excellent!
Hey,
are the peppers you use preserved in water, vinegar…?
I got a jar preserved in vinegar at home, wondering if that’ll work or just mess up the taste. 🙂
The peppers used here are preserved in water. I personally have never tried peppers preserved in vinegar but I do worry that it may drastically alter the taste of this dish.
My boyfriend and I LOVED this dish! The creaminess and tanginess of the goat cheese with the peppers was amazing. My boyfriend is never a fan of meatless meals though so we added spicey Italian sausage. It was perfect!
this has become my boyfriends and my favorite pasta to make! We make it with a little less onion and three cheese stuffed tortellini!
Hi, Chung-Ah, I made this over the weekend, and the meal definitely lived up to your website name! Thanks so much for sharing the great recipe! Nicki
I’ve been trying to actually MAKE the recipes that I’ve admired on pinterest for so long, and I finally got to this one earlier this week!! It definitely took me closer to 30/40 minutes (I find that I like to sautee onions longer than 2/3 minutes) and chopping the onion/garlic alone takes me about 10 minutes! So bear in mind that 20 minutes is optimistic 🙂 I followed the recipe exactly – including the goat cheese, which I’d never tried before. I used a food processor to blend the sauce because I didn’t have an immersion blender, and it worked perfectly. I added just a touch of the pasta water to make sure it was creamy enough, but really didn’t need to. The sauce was delicious, but my husband and I didn’t like the goat cheese flavor. That is a personal preference, though. We both agreed that we think (for us) it would be really good with cream cheese. I think next time I might add some red pepper flakes too to add a little spice! 🙂
This really was an amazing sauce. I was floored at how good it was and I cannot wait to make it again!
can i freeze the leftovers?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Made this dish tonight, and it was delicious! However, I used feta instead of goat cheese, added red pepper flakes for more heat, and used fettuccine noodles instead. The sauce seemed a bit watery, so I added some flour. Once I tossed the pasta in, it all came together well. I will definitely be making this again!
Could I purée the red peppers in a food processor before adding them to the Alfredo sauce if I don’t have an immersion blender?
Rebeca, the entire mixture should really be pureed rather than only pureeing the red peppers.
so yummy! I’m gonna give this a try. 😀
Thanx
Excited to make this! Thanks for sharing. Roasted red peppers & goat cheese are 2 of my fav’s. Have you ever tried adding roasted garlic to this recipe? I’m a garlic lover & I was thinking about adding a few cloves of roasted garlic as well. Think I’ll top it off with ribbons of prosciutto, fresh basil, shavings of Parmesan, & a couple sprinkles of crushed red pepper. Plus a glass or 3 of wine with it will be just perfect. 😉
I imagine if you can’t find goat cheese or don’t like it or feta, you can just omit it. I have a recipe for plain Alfredo sauce that calls for heavy cream, butter and parmesan cheese. I plan on trying this recipe with the goat cheese. But maybe ill try my alfredo sauce recipe and just puree the red peppers in my sauce sometime too. Ill be curious to taste the difference with and without goat cheese.
Hi there! Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this recipe! I subbed feta for goat cheese and wow! It was delicious and it melted just fine. It was super easy to make, and I even have some leftovers for tomorrow (I’m looking forward to that “it always tastes better the day after you make it” sauce). Love this website. Thanks again and I will definitely make this in the future!
Just made this for my future in laws and it was a hit! Everyone loved it and it was perfect. We added chicken and only used half of an onion, so it was perfect for vegetarians and meat lovers alike!
I just made this and thought it was awesome. I actually left out all the milk and cream because I forgot to buy it. I substituted 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. It was still creamy and rich from the cheeses. I don’t think I’d bother with the cream if I did it a second time!
If you can’t find goat cheese, I would recommend Neufchatel cheese … surprised no one has suggested it! It’s WAY closer to goat cheese than feta and it will melt and blend like goat cheese.
Hi I’m going to try you pasta dish next week and I wanted to could I sub out the goat cheese for a different cheese?
You can substitute feta cheese but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish.
what do I do if I don’t have an immersion blender?
You can use a blender.
Tried it..two words..INSANELY GOOD!!! thank you for sharing the recipe..it is definitely one of my favorites and it is super easy too!!
I’ve seen this question asked a few times but I still haven’t seen the answer yet. If using a food processor or blender, do you blend the sauce and the red peppers together in the food processor? Or just use the food processor to chop up the peppers?
Thank you!!
Angie, both the peppers and the sauce should be blended.
I used veggie cream cheese and it was nice and creamy, plus had a kick. Loved it tons!!
Oops jalapeño cream cheese, too….yum
Hi, I only have spaghetti and fettuccine pasta which one is better — instead of linguine? And can I use my osterizer blender instead or immersion blender / food processor? Thanks!!
You can use either pastas – it’s really up to you! And yes, a blender will work just fine.
I made this for my family and it was a big hit! Can’t wait to make it again!
I pinned this recently, and made it last night. It was AWESOME. And, even though I managed to make a complete mess of my kitchen (because that’s how I roll), it came together easily and quickly. Note to self: use a deeper pan next time for immersion blender purposes. 🙂
The goat cheese really makes it. When mixed in with the other ingredients, it adds brightness and zing without being overpowering. I don’t know if I could have picked it out as an ingredient if I hadn’t made it myself.
I’m already looking forward to leftovers tonight!
I can up roasted red peppers at summer’s end and this is the very next thing I am going to make with one of those jars!! Looks so amazing I can almost taste it!! Thanks for a great recipe!
(I am so lucky I found this site today! Woo hoo!)
Made this tonight and it’s delicious! I am not a fan of goat cheese but always make the recipe as is first….if you don’t like goat cheese, use it any way! Great recipe!!
Is there a substitute for the goat cheese?
What is your reason for substitution? Do you have dietary restrictions? If you could provide a little more information, I’d love to help find a suitable substitution for you.
I’m not a fan of goat cheese. What could I substitute? Ricotta? Fresh mozza?
Unfortunately, there really is no appropriate substitute for the goat cheese. It not only provides flavor but it also provides the creamy texture.
I had this on my list to try for SO long and finally got around to it and OMG! We may never be the same 🙂
I made this last night and while everyone loved how it tasted, the sauce was watery. How do you make thick so it will stick to the pasta?
I recommend draining the peppers completely before adding and pureeing the mixture until your desired consistency is reached.
I think this would be great with chicken. How would you cook your chicken to put in this?
That’s really based on personal preference, Laura. You can grill it and the slice it across the grain or you can dice it – it’s up to you!
made it gluten free – so good!
Oh My God! I just did the pasta and let me tell you even my picky niece loved it!! The only difference is that I used fresh pepper and is was “DAMN DELICIOUS”
I am not a huge alfredo fan… made this because my husband was having a craving. It seriously BLEW MY MIND! Seriously simple and delicious! This is going into immediate rotation…
I loved this recipe! I made this for my friends and topped it with pan seared lemon-garlic chicken. It was a huge hit.
I made this for supper tonight and it was SO quick and easy…and GOOD! Hubby ate 3/4 of it himself. The combination of the creamy goat cheese and the nutty parmesan is spectacular! I would add some red pepper flakes, but that’s because we like our food with a little heat to it. Fabulous recipe and I swear the time breezed by and it was done before I knew it. Thanks so much!
Do you have nutrition info on this?
Calories per portion?
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information of my recipes. Please use online resources to obtain such information.
Should I drain the liquid from jar before I use the pepper? I never used it so wonder if I just need to take those peppers out from it or just dump the whole things in the sauce. Thanks a lot!!
Cloey, the liquid should be drained prior to using.
Thanks!! I cant wait to make it!! I’ve cooked some of recipes from your blog and my family loves them!!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Quick question. I’m making this for dinner tomorrow (I can’t wait! ) but I don’t have an immersion blender. Any suggestions? Thanks so much! 🙂
If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use either a food processor or blender.
Thank you! 🙂
@Jessica Desarro – Jessica I just joined WW and would love to know how you figured out the point? I would use evaporated milk, wheat pasta, and feta cheese.
What is the green garnish you use in the photo for the roasted red pepper alfredo?
Dani, the garnish that was used here is fresh parsley leaves.
This recipe was tasty, but I thought that it was tooooo garlicky. It completely overpowered the cheese and the taste of the peppers. Next time, I’ll only use one clove of garlic, and a small one at that. Also, I thought the combo of flavors was perfect, but the flavor of goat cheese diminishes so much after it’s heated that I would like to try it stirred in just at the end. I used a nice quality cheese from whole foods, but I had to add another 2+ ounces at the end just to taste it. (maybe more because of the garlic)
Oh, and your photos are beautiful!
Kassidee, if the garlic taste was too strong to taste, I recommend reducing the amount of cloves used in the recipe. You also need to consider the size of cloves as some garlic cloves can be massively huge. Additionally, the goat cheese’s main purpose in this dish is to provide a very creamy texture more so than taste.
Does feta work just as good as the goat cheese?
Erica, you can certainly use feta but please remember that by using a substitution, I cannot speak for how much this will change in the overall taste or texture of the dish. I recommend using the specified ingredients listed in the recipe whenever possible for optimal results.
Hi! This looks great. How does it save? Do you think it could be frozen?
Aubrey, I do not recommend freezing. This is best served as soon as it is made.
Great recipe. I substituted light organic coconut milk for the cream/milk and served over spaghetti squash with turkey& herb meatballs.
Looks amazing. Do you think I could substitute a can of coconut milk for the dairy? Husband is lactose intolerant.
Clea, you can most certainly substitute coconut milk for the dairy but I cannot speak for how much this will change in taste/texture of the dish.
What a nice way to spice up traditional alfredo. I love peppers, so just looking at your photos is making me hungry and it’s not even lunchtime yet!
This recipe was SO delicious! I used cream cheese in place of the goat cheese, and it was scrumptious. I could eat this every week at never tire of it. Thanks so much for sharing such a tasty recipe. xo
I’m trying this for a valentine’s dinner tomorrow! Can’t wait. I love goat cheese and red peppers
Made it. loved it! this is going in the romantic dinner for two file/ 🙂
Made this for supper last night – it was delish! I had to leave out the goat cheese (and didn’t substitute anything because my husband hates all soft cheeses), but it was still very tasty. I put crumbled goat cheese on top of mine so I could still have that yummy flavour – but my husband enjoyed his still thoroughly without any. So those of you wondering about leaving it out, it’s possible! I agree though that it probably wasn’t as creamy of a sauce as it would have been with the goat cheese included.
Thanks for the tasty recipe!
This pasta was so delicious thank you for sharing the recipe! My whole family loved it and I featured it in my most recent weekly meal plan on my blog, thank you! Your recipes are always so good.
I’m so glad you had a chance to give this a try!
Excited to try this tonight! Making this for my boyfriend! Anything to pair it with besides salad?
A light soup might work great as well.
Can you use any other cheese I don’t like feta or goat.
Kathy, as goat cheese is one of the main ingredients in this dish, I recommend looking for another recipe. Without the goat cheese, you will not have the creamy notes that it provides, a crucial element in this dish.
Has anybody tried adding either shrimp or chicken? If so, how much?
Rachel, you can add your desired protein but be sure to make the appropriate adjustments to have enough sauce to go around.
Purchased all the ingredients without fully reading the recipe. I do not have an immersion blender. Would you purée the red peppers in a food processor then whisk into the cream sauce or put both the sauce and peppers into food processor? Looks delicious and excited to make this!
Christie, a blender will work fine in place of the food processor.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! It is definitely one of my new favorites!
Loved it! Just made it tonight! Thank you!
Could I substitute this for tomatoes?
I don’t see why not, but I can’t speak for the change in flavor and texture with this substitution.
So glad you liked my recipe enough to adapt it and make it your own! Gotta love the roasted red peppers!
Thank you for such an amazing recipe, Lauren 🙂
This was amazing! My husband even said it was one of the best recipes I have made from Pinterest. Thank you so much for sharing! We will definitely be making this one again!
Any thoughts for a meat add in? Chicken? Shrimp?
You can add any kind of proteins and/or veggies to your liking. Just be sure to keep in mind of proportions so you have enough sauce to go around.
I am on weight watchers and luckily, this is within my points. 9 points for 5 meals. Can’t wait to make it. Yum yum. Where are roasted red peppers normally found in the grocery store?
Roasted red peppers are usually by the canned vegetables.
Hi Jessica, I’m on weight watchers too. How much pasta is 9 points plus? Thank you.
Virginia, unfortunately, I do not provide the conversions for weight watchers. It is best to use online resources to make such calculations.
Love this. So easy! I added some crushed red pepper for some spice and it worked perfectly. Thank you!!
Love that you did a red pepper Alfredo, perfect for the spice loving mouth I have!
Just made this..so yummy! I used shredded Parmesan and just a block of goat cheese rather than crumbled. I will definitely make this again!
Bought all the stuff I needed today and I’m just about to make it for my dinner! Quite a simple dish and that’s right up my street
Let me know how it turns out!
This looks amazing… however I am very allergic to any form of bell pepper. 🙁 I’ll just drool over the pictures and wish I could eat it.
It’s funny that I bumped into this recipe right now right after making my hubby alfredo! I love roasted red peppers in anything, This looks delicious!
This looks so yummy! I love parmesan but unfortunately my husband hates it. Can I leave it out?
You can leave it out but I can’t predict how much the texture/flavors will change once this is omitted.
Im looking at the picture, Is that flour? I am thinking I miss something..
No, that is not flour. It is grated Parmesan used as a garnish.
Hi, I feel silly to ask this but what did you garnish with? is it basil? Thanks!
It is parsley but feel free to basil with garnish!
I made this tonight for me and the hubs. We both LOVED it, thanks for the newest dinner in our rotation. Yum!
I’m so glad! This is definitely in our rotation as well!
Substitution for goat cheese? I know it has a distinct flavor, but it’s unavailable in Blantyre.
Do you have access to feta cheese?
What do you put in the immersion blender, just the peppers or all of the sauce? Looks amazing!
You are actually using the immersion blender to blend everything right in the saucepan. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor.
I pinned this today and made it this evening! I was actually really disappointed. Maybe I bought too large of an onion but it was WAY too oniony, and I love onions. My boyfriend and I each had one bite and put it down. Oh well!
I’m sorry that this didn’t turn out too well for you. I’d love to help troubleshoot what went wrong – did you follow the recipe exactly as is?
Thanks. We followed the recipe perfectly, we have looked it over many times since we made it. I was so excited for it too. This actually is the first recipe we have made from pinterest that hasn’t turned out. But I suppose it happens! 🙂
Sorry it didn’t turn out. It’s such a bummer because this recipe is a huge hit with us!
Melanie, maybe the onion you used was too large. Chung-Ah, I think you could specify “small” onion in the ingredients list and that might help people. Great recipe btw!!! Thanks.
Looks like this may be dinner tonight. I love how simple this sauce is.
Such beautiful pictures – I could just dive headfirst into a massive bowl of this!
I had the same recipe pinned too and have been meaning to make it for ages, and now I know I must make it ASAP! Beautiful shots by the way 🙂
I really hope you get a chance to make it – it’s the best! And you know I’m totally kicking myself for not making this sooner!
Hello pastaliciousness!!! That looks and sounds amazing!!!!
You would love this, Jocelyn! And thanks for the pin to the BHG board – you’re the best!
What gorgeous photos of your pasta Chung-Ah! Love the lighting and composition!
Thank you! I got really lucky with the lighting on this one!
I just so happen to have a jar of roasted red peppers in my fridge right now.
I love it when that happens! Let me know how it turns out if you get a chance to make this.
Is there a substitution for heavy cream?
You can substitute milk but the consistency and creaminess may be affected with this change.
For heavy cream, try subbing evaporated milk. Its close in texture and usually in a dish like this will not be a noticeable taste change!
I used about 1/2 jar Alfredo sauce, and no onions. I added a couple squeezes of lemon juice and seasoned the sauce with onion and garlic powder, and a little Spike, an all purpose seasoning I get at the health food store. I use it in everything because I don’t add salt to anythinpg. It has sea salt in it. Oh yeah, about 1/2 cup white wine and a bit of lemon pepper, and the 4 cheese Italian cheese instead of goat cheese. It was perfect with lobster ravioli. I just put the peppers and Alfredo sauce in the blender, sauteed the garlic, and poured the sauce in the pan with the garlic., and cleaned out the blender with the wine. Warmed everything through for about 10 minutes and added the cheese. YUM!
Cashew cream is a great alternative for heavy cream!
Goat cheese and roasted red peppers. You’re speakin’ my language! Beautiful. Will be trying soon.
This is the world’s most perfect pasta.
Love this idea! Quick pasta dishes are always a hit here!
Yummalicious! I used to have a false aversion to red peppers; as in I hated the green ones so steered clear of red and yellow too. I saw the light and now love them; especially roasted. Love that this is such a quick meal too. Yum again!
I’m trying it this evening with cream cheese. I’m hoping it turns out well. I have ricotta too but I’m afraid of how that will do in it.
As we are not fans of goat cheese, what would be a suitable substitution? Looks amazing and I would love to make it!!
You can try substituting feta cheese.
With the jared red pepper, do i add the liquid in the jar as well?
No, discard the liquid before adding the peppers.
How about using ricotta cheese in place of goat cheese?
You can certainly use ricotta cheese but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish.
For the creaminess without the tang, try cream cheese. But I’ll bet it wont rock it like the goat cheese does! 🙂
Beautifully simple recipe! My hubs haven’t gotten on the goat cheese bandwagon but I know it’s easy to substitute. Love roasted peppers.
The lighting is just mesmerizing! Beautiful photos!!
And a 30 min sauce -that is my kinda recipe! 🙂
Thank you, friend! You would love this! Jason actually set aside a portion of this when we were eating dinner so he could pack more for his lunch and he usually never holds back!
I need this pasta in my life immediately!