This simple roasted pepper and feta pasta is truly comfort in a bowl. It’s made by tossing fusilli or other short types of pasta with a rich roasted red pepper sauce, feta, marinated artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, and Parmesan.

This pasta dish can be ready in under 20 minutes. It’s ideal for a quick dinner for a busy weeknight.

two white bowls of roasted pepper and feta pasta, topped with olives, basil, and feta, one to the right in the foreground, and one to the left, blurred in the background

Ingredients

To make this pasta dish, you’ll need the following for 2 generous servings:

Pasta – 8 oz (225 g) fusilli / rotini or other short pasta like penne or casarecce.
Roasted Red Peppers – 8 oz (225 g) (about 3 roasted peppers) roasted red peppers, jarred or homemade both work. Using homemade roasted red peppers makes the sauce sweeter. If using jarred peppers, rinse them in cold water to remove excess vinegar.
Feta – 4 oz (110 g) crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
Olives – 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
Marinated Artichokes – 1/3 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
Parmesan – 1 oz parmesan (about 1/3 cup finely grated)
Butter – 1 tbsp butter
Garlic – 1 garlic clove, minced
Shallot – 1 shallot, finely diced
Salt – pinch of salt
Optional garnishes: crumbled feta, sliced olives, fresh basil (finely sliced).

How to Make It

Step 1. Blend the peppers. Blend the roasted peppers in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Step 2. Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. As soon as the water boils, add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick. It will finish cooking in the sauce. While the pasta boils, work on the sauce. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

pasta cooking in a large pot of boiling water

close up of drained cooked pasta in a colander

Step 3. Start the sauce. When you add the pasta to the pot to boil, start the sauce. Set a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once it has melted, add the shallot and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don’t let it brown. Pour in the blended peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until the sauce darkens slightly and starts to bubble.

diced shallot cooking in butter in a skillet

base of the sauce for the pasta showing blended red peppers with sautéed shallot

Step 4. Continue making the sauce. Ladle 1/2 cup of water from the pasta pot into the sauce and keep cooking the sauce, stirring for about 3 minutes until reduced.

pasta water being added and stirred into the sauce

Step 5. Combine the sauce with the pasta. Add the drained pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook for 1 minute, stirring and tossing continuously so the sauce coats every piece. Add more pasta water if you need to loosen up the sauce. Turn off the heat.

Step 6. Add the olives, artichokes, and parmesan. Stir until the parmesan has melted into the sauce.

olives and artichokes added to the skillet with the pasta and the sauce

parmesan being added to the skillet on top of the olives, artichokes, pasta, and sauce

Step 7. Add the feta. Finally, add the feta and stir until well-combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed (it likely will not need it due to the feta, parmesan, and olives).

crumbled feta added before being stirred into the pasta and sauce

Step 8. Serve. Divide between bowls and serve right away, topped with extra feta, olives, and finely sliced fresh basil if you like.

overhead view of two white bowls of roasted pepper and feta pasta topped with crumbled feta, basil, and olives, placed on a dark wooden table

If you made this pasta dish and loved it, tell me all about it in a review below.

top down view of one white bowl of roasted pepper and feta pasta, topped with crumbled feta, basil, and olives, placed on a dark wooden table

Recipe Card