Roasted Red Pepper Pumpkin Pasta
This healthy roasted red pepper pumpkin pasta is creamy and luscious, pairing wonderfully with Barilla's Protein+ Spaghetti for the ultimate fall comfort food! It's so decadent that you'll be shocked to find that it's packed with protein and vegetables!
Ingredients
- 8 oz (~1/2 box) Barilla Protein + Spaghetti
- 1 cup Raw, Unsalted cashews
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Shallots diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pure Pumpkin Purée
- 2 tbsp Non-fat, Plain Greek Yogurt optional
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1/2 cup Filtered Water
- 1 Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 cup Whole, Unsalted Walnuts
Instructions
- Soak 1 cup of cashews in enough water to submerge the cashews. Cover, and let sit for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut each bell pepper into 4 wide strips (lengthwise) and remove the seeds. Spread the pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the red peppers begin to char.
- In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. Add the diced shallot and minced garlic cloves, stirring occasionally and cooking until the shallots begin to appear translucent.
- Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and tomato paste. Let cook for 2 minutes, then add the pumpkin purée. Cook this for 5 more minutes on low heat.
- Once the red peppers are out of the oven, let cool slightly, and add them directly to a large blender.
- Drain the cashews (but save the cashew water!) and add 1 cup of the drained cashews to the blender. To the blender, add the shallot and garlic pumpkin sauce that you sautéed, Greek yogurt (optional), nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp of the reserved cashew water, and 1/2 cup of filtered water. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Heat 4 quarts of water on high heat and add 2 tbsp of salt to the water. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until the pasta is "al dente" according to the package instructions.
- In the meantime, heat a small pan on medium to high heat and add the walnuts. Let cook for 4-5 minutes or until slightly toasted.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add the pasta back into the pot. Pour the red pepper pumpkin sauce over the pasta! Turn the heat to low and stir for about a minute so that all of the pasta is coated in the sauce. Add additional pasta water or 'cashew water' to thin as needed.
- Serve about 1 cup of the red pepper pumpkin pasta on each of the four plates and distribute the toasted walnuts evenly to garnish the pasta. Enjoy!