Name: Three-Cheese Roasted Pepper Pasta
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 oz fusilli pasta; 8 oz roasted peppers (8 oz are about 3 roasted peppers); 1 burrata cheese (about 150 g / 5 oz-sized burrata); 1 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp mascarpone; 2 tbsp parmesan (grated); 1 garlic clove (minced); 6 fresh basil leaves (optional, finely sliced/chiffonade)

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If you like cheesy pasta, this three-cheese roasted pepper pasta is definitely one to try! It’s made by mixing fusilli or other corkscrew-shaped pasta with a roasted red pepper sauce with mascarpone and parmesan, topped with creamy burrata and fresh basil.

It’s great for weeknight dinners as it takes about 20 minutes to make. You can make it with jarred roasted peppers or peppers you roasted at home ahead of time.

Roasted pepper pasta in two pasta bowls, topped with burrata and fresh basil chiffonade.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need for 2 large servings.

Fusilli Pasta – 8 oz fusilli/rotini (or other corkscrew-shaped pasta)
Roasted Peppers – 8 oz roasted red bell peppers (about 3 peppers); jarred or homemade both work, see note below.
Mascarpone – 2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
Burrata – 1 burrata cheese (about 5-6 oz)
Parmesan – 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
Butter – 1 tbsp butter
Garlic – 1 large garlic clove, minced
Salt – salt, to taste
Black Pepper – ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh Basil (Optional) – fresh basil leaves for garnishing

Note on Roasted Peppers: You can use homemade or jarred roasted peppers. If using jarred ones, drain the liquid, rinse the peppers in cold water to remove the vinegary taste, and pat the peppers dry with a paper towel. Homemade roasted peppers are tastier and a bit sweeter, so if you have extra time, it’s worth doing that. I like to roast them in a big batch ahead of time (here’s a recipe for it; I use method 1 for big batches), peel them, and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days, ready to use in many different recipes.

How to Make It

Step 1. Cook the pasta. To a large salted pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package (minus one minute). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain the cooked pasta.

Fusilli pasta boiling in a pot of water on the stove.

Step 2. Blend the peppers. Blend the roasted peppers with 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water in a food processor or blender.

The reserved pasta water contains starch that helps make the sauce glossy and coat the pasta better.

Blended roasted pepper in a food processor.

Step 3. Make the sauce. To an empty pot over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the blended roasted peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts simmering.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and simmer for about 1-2 minutes, stirring. Turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone until well incorporated and then the parmesan. If you want a looser sauce, you can add a bit more pasta water. Taste the pasta and add a pinch of salt and black pepper to your preference.

Cooked pasta combined with the roasted pepper sauce.

Step 4. Plate and top. Plate the pasta in shallow pasta bowls. Cut the burrata in 2 and top the pasta with the burrata in the middle.

Roasted pepper pasta topped with burrata.

If using fresh basil, finely slice the leaves. You can do so by placing the leaves on top of each other, from largest to smallest. Roll the stacked leaves tightly into a tube shape and then slice into thin ribbons. Add them on top of the pasta and burrata.

Up-close of the roasted pepper cheesy pasta with burrata on top.

It’s quick, simple, and delightfully cheesy! If you make this pasta and love it, let me know in a review below.

Two shallow bowls of roasted pepper pasta with burrata.

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