Description
Creamy red pepper pasta with burrata and herbs is a vibrant, elegant, and easy-to-make vegetarian dish. Perfect for beginner cooks looking for a quick, flavorful dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 lbs red bell peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 5 peppers)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 lb linguine
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 (8 oz) ball burrata cheese
Instructions
- Start the pasta water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and keep it ready while you start the sauce, which helps with timing and efficiency.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Add peppers and herbs: Stir in the red bell peppers, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are soft and caramelized.
- Build the sauce: Add the minced garlic and balsamic vinegar. Let it cook for about a minute until the vinegar reduces slightly and the garlic becomes aromatic.
- Simmer with stock: Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 5 minutes while the pasta begins cooking.
- Cook the pasta: Drop the linguine into the boiling water and cook it for one minute less than the package instructions for al dente texture.
- Blend the sauce: Remove the herb stems from the pot, stir in the heavy cream, and transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth and silky, about 90 seconds.
- Combine everything: Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour the creamy red pepper sauce over the pasta, add the grated parmesan cheese, and toss over low heat until everything is well coated and the cheese has melted.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the chopped parsley. Plate the pasta and top with torn burrata cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle extra parmesan and herbs on top if desired.
Notes
- To save time, prep your vegetables while the water heats. A high-speed blender gives the creamiest result, but an immersion blender works in a pinch. If your sauce is too thick, thin it with a splash of vegetable stock. For added protein, grilled chicken or white beans can be mixed in. Burrata is best added just before serving to maintain its texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 530mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 76g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 45mg