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–+ servings
A close-up of a baked penne pasta dish with melted cheese, olives, and red peppers, perfect for weeknight pasta recipes.

Weeknight Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Olives

This recipe offers a quick and flavorful pasta dish perfect for busy weeknights. It combines a vibrant sauce made with roasted red peppers and olives with your favorite pasta, finished with creamy mozzarella and sharp Parmesan.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 5 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 (16-oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained, finely chopped about 1¾ cups
  • 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup green olives, smashed, pits removed
  • 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 (14-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
Pasta and Assembly
  • 1 lb. rigatoni, penne, or ziti
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped oregano
  • 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated divided
  • 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces divided
  • Handful torn basil leaves for serving

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • Large pot
  • Baking dish

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add roasted red peppers and salt; season with black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is jammy, 8–10 minutes. Add olives, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, and their liquid and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
  2. While sauce is cooking, place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F (175°C). Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions; pasta will continue to cook in the oven). Drain pasta, reserving ⅓ cup pasta cooking liquid.
  3. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Reduce heat to medium and stir in butter, oregano, and half of Parmesan. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and glossy and coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in half of mozzarella.
  4. Transfer pasta to a 13x9" baking dish and spread into an even layer. Scatter remaining Parmesan and mozzarella over. Bake until bubbling around the edges, 15–20 minutes.
  5. Heat broiler. Broil pasta until top is brown and crisp in spots, about 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then top with basil for serving.

Notes

This recipe is designed for busy home cooks who want a flavorful meal without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It uses common ingredients and requires minimal cleanup, making it a great option for weeknights.

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