Red sauce pasta recipe – Healthy & delicious kids’ friendly pasta that can be made for after school meal or dinner. Red sauce pasta is a dish made with pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic & herbs. This is one of the best pasta recipes you can make at home & I am sure your family will love it.
Red sauce pasta can be served for a meal with
pizza
tomato soup
Cheese toast
sandwiches
This is an easy idea to include tomatoes and red bell pepper in kids’ diet. Red sauce pasta recipe is generally made using only tomatoes. Mostly canned tomatoes or tomato paste/ puree is used to get the bright color.
Making this red sauce pasta recipe entirely using only tomatoes will make it very tangy. So you can use either onions or bell peppers to balance the tang from tomatoes.
If you are looking for ideas to include bell pepper in your diet, then surely this is a must try. On occasions I also make this with chicken and shrimps. It tastes great that way too. I have mentioned the details in the notes below.
The unique taste and flavor comes from roasting the tomatoes & bell pepper before blending. They can be oven roasted or sauteed in the pan just like the way I have done in this post.
Do not skip this step as it makes red sauce pasta more flavorful and delicious.
More Pasta recipes,
Masala pasta
White sauce pasta
Pasta payasam
Pasta soup
Chicken pasta.
Preparation
The red sauce I have made for this pasta recipe uses red bell pepper along with tomatoes. But can be substituted with onions.
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute bell peppers or onions on a high flame just for 2 mins. You can also skip bell peppers and use onion. The taste would be different but good. Set them aside to cool.
2. To the same pan, add ripe tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 mins.
3. Tomatoes must turn soft. Add red chili flakes as needed. Set this aside to cool.
4. When cooled, add them to a blender jar.
5. Blend to a smooth or coarse paste. We prefer smooth. Set this aside.
6. While you make the sauce, you can bring 2 liters water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt as needed.
7. When the water comes to a boil, add pasta. Cook al dente following the instructions on the pack.
8. Drain off in a colander and rinse to remove extra starch.
How to make red sauce pasta recipe
9. Put back the same pan on the stove with another 1 tbsp oil. When hot saute garlic and red chili flakes until they turn fragrant.
10. Add chopped onions.
11. Saute until the raw smell goes away.
12. Add the puree and salt. Mix and cook on a medium heat until the sauce thickens.
13. This is the consistency i prefer, you can even take off a little earlier. Add oregano. Mix well. Off the stove.
14. Add the cooked pasta. I prefer another tbsp olive oil now. This is optional.
15. Saute until well combined.
Add crushed pepper. Serve pasta in red sauce hot.
Related Recipes
Red sauce pasta
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 ½ cups pasta (any)
- 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil (or any)
- salt as needed
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp onions finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups tomatoes ripe red chopped
- 1 ¼ cup red bell peppers or red capsicum or ½ to ¾ cup onions
- ½ to 1 tsp red chili flakes (adjust as needed)
- ½ to 1 tsp oregano or mixed herbs
- pepper freshly crushed for garnish
Instructions
Preparation
- Roast onions or bell peppers in 1 tbsp oil for 3 mins on a high flame. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Roast tomatoes until mushy for about 3 mins. Cool this as well.
- Blend them together to a puree. Set aside.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook pasta with salt until al dente (just cooked).
- Drain off and rinse them. Drain in a colander. Set aside.
How to make red sauce pasta
- Heat the same pan with more oil and fry garlic and chili flakes until aromatic.
- Add onions and saute until golden.
- Pour the puree and add salt.
- Mix well and cook until it reaches a desired consistency. Make sure the sauce is not watery. Taste the sauce and adjust salt as needed. Add oregano.
- Off the stove and add the pasta. Toss well until mixed.
- Garnish with herbs. Serve hot pasta in red sauce.
Notes
- If using prawns: You can add about 125 to 150 grams of fresh cleaned tiger prawns after sauteing garlic, onions. Saute until they get cooked. They swirl completely when done. Set them aside without removing onions or garlic. Add them back to the pan along with cooked pasta.
- If using chicken: Cook 150 grams of boneless chicken separately until tender, shred and then add it after sauteing garlic, onions.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
I have made this recipe several times and it always turns out best. My kids truly love it. Thanks for such wonderful recipe.
Welcome Hasina
Glad your kids love it!
🙂
I have followed the recipe exactly except using green chillies instead of red chilli flakes.The taste was amazing.Everyone njoyed the pasta.
Glad to know !
Thanks Nandini
🙂
Is this sauce be good to store in the refrigerator? If so, how long?
Hi Sowmya
It keeps good for 2 days in the fridge
Love your recipes! Can I add Spinach/Palak in this Red Sauce Pasta? If yes, when should I add it?
Thank you! First saute it separately. Keep it aside and then add it with the pasta to the sauce.
Tried it for dinner last night, it was yumm. The tip that you shared about roasting onions/pepper and tomatoes really lifted the flavors.
Glad to know Deepali
I love it ?
I love this recipe a lot! Made it like 20 times already 🙂
Thanks Keerti
Very nice recipe I love the way you organise everything. It makes cooking easy. Please do more vegetarian international recipes. Thank you.
Welcome!
Thank you! Yes sure
🙂
Hi Swasthi!
Please advise me, what can I use instead of oregano?
And can I use mustard oil or sunflower oil?
Hi Subhendu
Any dried herbs like basil, thyme or a mix of all these will work. Not mustard oil. Use sunflower.
Can I just skip the dried herbs?
yes skip them and add lots of black pepper. You can also try using very finely chopped coriander leaves.
Thank you very much.
Nice recipe.
Going to try
Tried and it’s ?
Thank you Ishita
It’s lovely recipe. I also tried the recipe by adding little ketchup and pepper to it. It is mind blowing
Glad to know Prachi
I tried your recipe and i just fell in love with pasta! Really appreciable work mam!
Thanks Sameer
Glad to know you loved it
No-fail recipes time and again! A huge thanks to your recipes!!
Welcome Vaidegi
Thank you
Hi Swasthi,
Please advise, Can red bell pepper be replaced by green capsicum to make pasta sauce
Hi Flavia,
No not green capsicum. It will change the color and not sure how it tastes. You can use onions instead.
Thank you so much Swasthi
Can I boiled some white chickpea grind it and mix with sauce. Also what other veggies can be added to make it healthier.
I haven’t tried it the way you said. Sounds good but. You can add carrots, peas, broccoli, sweet corn, spinach. Pls add only the veggies you like
Hi swaasthi !
Which ever of ur recipes I tried making they turned out amazing thank you for sharing ur recipes.. every loved just love the dished..
My go-to recipe for red sauce pasta. Tastes amazing. 🙂 we loved it
Hi, I would always like to follow your recipe instead of another. My familiars like your style cooking taste. Thank you so much. N more I like your step by step pics of recipe which helps to cook without mistake.
Thanks so much Neha!
Glad to know!
🙂
Tried this recipe using onions instead of bell pepper and it came out really well. Roasting onion and tomato really enhances the flavour. Also added some chicken. Loved it.
Thank you Winnie
Glad to know it came out good!
🙂
Hey Swasthi,
I am a regular follower of your recipes and love your exact measurements and authentic flavous that come out. We are under lockdown and I had been craving for some pasts since a long long time and today I made this using Macaroni (only thing available) and regular peanut oil and I can’t believe the fantastic taste of the pasta even though I didn’t have olive oil or red capsicum.. Thanks to you my craving got settled in these tough times when I had little hope. And I made the red sauce for the the first time. Thank you and please know that you are bringing a lot of joy to our homes. 🙂
Hi Anubha,
So happy reading your comment. You are most welcome! Thanks much for your time to let me know.
Stay safe!
🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I made it today and my entire family loved it. Not a bit was left. Keep posting your good recipes.
Welcome Shweta
Glad your family loves it. Thank you!
It was soooo tasty!! I ate 2 bowls!! Yummy in my tummmmmy!
kids loved it!! will definitely make more!! I personally added garlic, which was way tastier. You should add garlic to your recipe. And put my name under it so the credit goes to me. I hope you make more tasty dishes for my family to try. My kids love your recipes. It made the house smell very gooooood!! may annapoora, the god of cooking, give you more knowledge on cooking!! good luck
Hi Pujita,
Sorry forgot to reply you. Thanks a lot for the wishes. Glad you all loved the red sauce pasta. This recipe cannot be made without garlic. I think you did not notice that I have already used it.
🙂
The recipe was a hit!! Thanks so much
Welcome Padmaja