Quick Red Pepper and Olive Spaghetti Sauce

A super quick spaghetti sauce which can be whipped up from store cupboard ingredients in a few minutes while the pasta cooks.

OH MY GOD, this spaghetti sauce was amazing!

I mean I knew it would taste good with the delicious Mediterranean flavours of roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, olives and basil. I just didn't know how mouth-wateringly tasty it would be.

This has become an instant favourite and one I'll be making again very soon.

It takes a fraction of the time the pasta takes to cook and that is isn't long at all. Definitely a winning recipe.

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients

Basil

I added a small handful of fresh basil to this sauce to add flavour. Dried basil would give a totally different flavour and is better reserved for slower cooked sauces like stews. Stick to fresh basil for a dish like this.

Roasted Peppers

This was a small jar of mostly red roasted peppers from a budget supermarket. They are good quality and a great store cupboard standby.

Black Olives

I always have olives in the house as my son loves them and I admit I do too, after being an olive hater for years. It's usually green olives I buy as we both like them, but the black olives really give an extra richness and that umami flavour to this sauce and you don't need to add many either.

Garlic

I added fresh garlic to this sauce. You don't need much, just a small clove, unless you love a strong garlic flavour, in which case do feel free to add a bigger clove or two small cloves.

Cashew Nuts

We all know we should include seeds and nuts in our diets, but how often do we remember to add some to our meals or snacks? Probably not enough.

My son doesn't like nuts, well actually he is unwilling to try them so this is a good way of adding some to his diet and it adds substance to the sauce too.

I used salted cashews, so didn't need to add any salt to the sauce.

Sundried Tomatoes

I used a small jar of sundried tomatoes. I reserved the oil from the jar and used it in the sauce instead of olive oil, as the tomato oil has so much flavour. I also reserved the oil from the peppers to use another day and just popped it in the fridge. No point throwing out all that yumminess.

Also try - Sicilian Pesto Spaghetti or Creamy Lemon Basil Spaghetti

Blender Sauce

I whizzed up all the ingredients with a good grinding of black pepper in my mini blender. I have a powerful beast of a blender in my kitchen that is used a lot, but I like my little travel blender for whizzing up quick pesto sauce, hummus and pasta sauce.

Of course you could also use a food processor to whizz up your sauce. That would do the job nicely too, just not quite as smooth.

Also try - Aubergine, Asparagus and Chilli Spaghetti or  One-Pot Mushroom & Cherry Tomato Spaghetti

Spaghetti Making Tips

1. To make really good pasta make sure you have a really big pot. Pasta will be more likely to stick together if the pot is too small.
2. You don't need to add oil to the water. Just don't, your sauce will slip off instead of clinging to the pasta.
3. Add a lot of water to the pot, you want to give the pasta plenty of room to cook.
4. Don't add the spaghetti until the water is at a rolling boil.
5. Stir the pasta as it is added, then at least another couple of times during cooking to keep it moving and not sticking.
6. Try the pasta a minute before the packet says it will be ready. You want the pasta to be al dente. With a little bit of firmness, but cooked through. There is nothing worse than overcooked pasta.
7. Before you drain the pasta, scoop out a glass or cup of the pasta water. Add this to the pasta when you are adding the sauce. It will loosen it slightly, but make it gloriously silky. This is something you will find Italians doing when cooking pasta.
8. Pour the sauce and pasta water into the spaghetti and stir well to coat. The spaghetti should be well coated in sauce. Never serve sauce dolloped on top.
9. Serve while hot and top with grated Parmesan (veggie or vegan).
10. Enjoy!

For another quick pasta try - Vegan Microwave Mug Macaroni Cheese or Creamy Sundried Tomato Spaghetti with Black Olives

pin it for later

Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Remember and say hi. I am always happy to chat and answer questions.

also try - Simple Marinara Spaghetti Sauce

Red Pepper and Olive Spaghetti Sauce

This lip-smacking sauce makes enough sauce for two generously coated spaghetti mountains for four. So eight servings. 

You can store the leftover sauce in the fridge for 2-3 days and it should freeze well too.

I do hope you try it. It's bloomin' gorgeous!

I know you will love it as much as we did.

also try - Jamie Style Aubergine & Tomato Pasta Sauce or easy roasted red pepper & chickpea pasta with tahini

Red Pepper and Olive Spaghetti Sauce

Yield: 8-10

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

prep time: 5 Mcook time: total time: 5 M

A super quick spaghetti sauce which can be whipped up from store cupboard ingredients in a few minutes while the pasta cooks.

ingredients:

• 6 tbsp oil (from the sundried tomato jar)
• 280g jar sundried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil)
• 280g jar roasted red pepper, drained
• 125g salted cashews
• 1 small clove garlic
• 7 pitted black olives
• 1 small handful of fresh basil
• 1 cup pasta water
• a good grinding of black pepper

instructions:

How to cook Red Pepper and Olive Spaghetti Sauce

1. Make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
2. Whizz all the ingredients except for the pasta water in a blender or food processor until smooth.
3. Scoop a cup of pasta water from your pasta pot. just before the pasta has finished cooking.
4. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and pour on the spaghetti sauce (half of this recipe will generously coat enough pasta for 4 people) over the pasta along with the pasta water and stir well to coat. The pasta water will give you a silky sauce.
5. Serve while hot, topped with grated Parmesan (vegan or vegetarian style).
6. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Half of this sauce will generously coat spaghetti for four. Reserve the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days or freeze for later.

Calories
299.11

Fat (grams)
14.42

Sat. Fat (grams)
2.49

Carbs (grams)
32.13

Fiber (grams)
5.64

Net carbs
26.48

Sugar (grams)
15.52

Protein (grams)
8.61

Sodium (milligrams)
164.05

Cholesterol (grams)
0.00

spaghetti sauce, noodle sauce, vegan spaghetti sauce, red pepper spaghetti sauce, quick spaghetti sauce, easy spaghetti sauce, vegan spaghetti sauce, red pepper pasta sauce, roast pepper pasta sauce, roasted pepper spaghetti sauce, blender pasta sauce

dinner

Italian, vegan

Created using The Recipes Generator

TRY THIS NEXT

KALE AND CASHEW PESTO SPAGHETTI

A creamy green sauce for spaghetti that's super silky and coats the pasta beautifully. The pesto is homemade from kale and cashews. It's suitable for vegetarians and vegans.