This Roasted Red Pepper and Pecan Pesto Penne has a delicious pesto sauce made with roasted red pepper and pecans over penne. You won’t believe you were able to make such a tasty dish in under 30 minutes.
Roasted Red Pepper And Pecan Pesto Penne
Now try saying that title ten times fast, bit of a tongue twister in pronunciation and flavor. If you’ve been day dreaming at all lately about burying yourself in a creamy, dreamy pasta then this comforting penne is simply perfect.
The roasted red pepper and pecan pesto just give this recipe so much complex flavor and are a nice summery twist on a classic dish. I’m able to whip it up in about 20 minutes so it’s my go to dish for those nights when the couch calls just as strongly as the fridge.
Ingredients In Roasted Red Pepper Pecan Pesto Penne
- Pasta – I like to use penne or fettuccine but any pasta will work.
- Pesto – This pesto is made up of: pecans, roasted red peppers, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
- Heavy cream – We want something with lots of fat as a base for this saucy penne recipe, lower fat content will work but keep in mind it may result in a more liquid-y sauce.
- Cheese – I like to use something mild and melty in a recipe like this, stronger cheeses like cheddar might over power our flavors.
- Bacon – Fried up before incorporating. Cooked, shredded chicken is a nice substitute if that’s what’s available.
- Salt & Pepper – To taste, keep in mind that the bacon will give this dish quite a bit of salt already.
How To Make Roasted Red Pepper And Pecan Penne
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the pasta: Boil according to package instructions and set aside after draining.
- Make the pesto: In a food processor combine the pecans, roasted red peppers from the jar, basil, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Pulse this together well until it becomes a paste.
- Combine the pesto and pasta: In a large saucepan add the roasted red pepper paste and start with 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook over medium heat until it starts to boil; add mozzarella cheese and remaining heavy cream if sauce is too thick. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Finish the red pepper and pecan penne: Cook this until the cheese melts and then add the pasta and cooked crumbled bacon. Garnish with parsley and serve hot!
Storing Leftover Penne
This dish will last 3 – 4 days sealed well in the fridge and up to 3 months frozen. It can be microwaved to reheat or heated up right in the oven still frozen.
Craving More Pasta Recipes: Try These:
- Penne with Prosciutto, Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Penne with Cream and Smoked Salmon
- Tomato Basil and Spinach Penne
- Leftover Ham And Cheese Penne
- Baked Penne With Italian Sausage
- Crack Chicken Penne
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
Roasted Red Pepper and Pecan Pesto Penne
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta such as penne, or fettuccine
- 1 cup pecans
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup basil fresh
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup roasted red peppers 1 small jar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 6 slices bacon fried or leftover chicken
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions.
- In a food processor add pecans, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and roasted red peppers. Pulse until everything together until it turns into a paste.
- In a sauce pan, add the roasted red pepper paste and start with 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook over medium heat until it starts to boil; add mozzarella cheese and remainder 1/2 cup of heavy cream if sauce is too thick. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Cook until cheese melts then add the pasta, bacon and toss everything together.
- Serve with some extra grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Cynthia says
December 6, 2018 at 10:11 pmWOW! Initially, I thought pecans in my pasta sauce was odd. I decided to give it a try anyway and I was not disappointed, everybody loved it! I substituted heavy cream with half and half and didn’t have fresh basil on hand so used dehydrated. I also added some chopped sausage 🙂 This is easily one my favorite pastas now! Great job Jo!
Victor Montoya says
June 4, 2018 at 3:45 pmSo, I’m assuming you fry the bacon crisp and chop? LOL
Joanna Cismaru says
June 4, 2018 at 5:52 pmYes!
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
June 4, 2018 at 3:31 pmThis looks AWESOME, Jo! Extra roasted red peppers for me, please. I’ll dig right in.
Carol blackbrun says
May 3, 2018 at 8:34 amIt look good to eat
Candice says
February 26, 2016 at 12:07 pmYou had me at 30 minutes and bacon!! I was thinking of making this, but my parents don’t eat cheese. If I omit the cheese, will it alter the taste of the recipe?
For the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella, do you use the packaged kind (e.g. Kraft) or do you use the fresh kind?
Joanna Cismaru says
February 26, 2016 at 12:16 pmYou could definitely make the pesto without the cheese, it will still be just as delicious and of course you don’t have to top with mozzarella cheese. I’m just a cheese lover and if I could I would put cheese on everything! For the mozzarella cheese I usually buy Kraft, that’s already shredded and for Parmesan I usually use fresh, and by fresh I mean I buy a big piece and grate it myself.
Candice says
February 29, 2016 at 8:25 amThanks Joanna! Can’t wait to try this dish!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
July 20, 2015 at 2:38 pmOh jeez. I saw all that creamy cheesy goodness then realised there was BACON in it too. Swoon. (I trust some bacon “fell” on the ground for Mia?)
PS I’m a fan of roasted peppers too. They can make anything interesting – or more often, I eat them straight out of the jar. 🙂
jo says
July 20, 2015 at 2:46 pmBacon always has a way of getting into Mia’s mouth, not sure how it happens, but it does!! 🙂
mila furman says
July 20, 2015 at 10:18 amJo~ This is soooo gorgeous and lovely!!! I love comfort food! And pasta in under 30 min is fantastic…now let’s put someone in charge of the dishes 🙂
jo says
July 20, 2015 at 10:39 amThe dishwasher? 🙂
mila furman says
July 20, 2015 at 11:08 amHahhaha yes but someone has to LOAD it!
jo says
July 20, 2015 at 11:21 amYes you’re right, and I hate loading/unloading the dishwasher. LOL
Mike | Chili Pepper Madness says
July 20, 2015 at 9:38 amThis looks fantastic. I make a lot of pesto variations, using different nuts, different greens, different cheeses, and they always turn out great, though I haven’t used cream. I’ll have to give that a try soon. Looks SO creamy.
Amanda says
February 21, 2014 at 2:30 amI have to tell you, I have made this twice now, 2 weeks ago and then again this evening. This was a resounding success this evening. I made it with bacon, as you suggested. I even put some bacon in the food processor to mix with the sauce. The only thing i added to it was Spanish green olives. And I used bow-tie pasta instead of penne this time.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Nice to find savory recipes with pecans in it. We have about 4-6 pecan trees on the property here.
jo says
February 21, 2014 at 2:32 amWow I’m jealous, I love pecans. 🙂 So glad you loved the recipe. 🙂