Red Sauce Pasta Red Pasta

About Red Sauce Pasta

Red Sauce Pasta is a popular pasta variant made with a bright, tangy homemade tomato sauce. This tomato based sauce is usually made by sautéing onions & garlic in olive oil to which fresh or canned tomatoes or tomato puree is added. The ingredients are further cooked until the sauce thickens. This red sauce is later flavored with herbs like basil, parsley, thyme or oregano and spices like black pepper or red chilli flakes. My recipe has some mixed vegetables and button mushrooms in it. You can opt to prepare this Red Sauce Pasta recipe with or without vegetables and also feel free to exclude the mushrooms. It tastes great, whichever way you want to make it. I like to add the vegetables as they give a good taste, texture and also increase the nutrition factor. This Red Sauce Pasta is so tasty you will want to keep on making it often. Cooking the pasta, sauce and vegetables, all together takes some time. However, this particular recipe is not difficult and can be done easily, without any hassle. But, if you are looking for a quicker meal, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it. This recipe is vegetarian but you can opt to make it vegan if you do not add cheese. I worked on this recipe of Red Sauce Pasta on those many requests that I had been getting from my readers. Since pasta dishes are equally a favorite with the kids as well as grown-ups, it was not surprising for me to receive so many requests for the same. In addition to this Red Pasta, you will find more pasta recipes on this blog. Anyway, I also aim to continue adding more varieties of pasta recipes here.

Red Pasta Essentials

This recipe of Red Sauce Pasta will help you dish out a really nice and comforting dish for your loved ones. While the recipe is a basic guide that you can refer to for making the dish, here are some of the ingredients/elements that are quite a must for this recipe.

1. Red Sauce: As I have mentioned above the homemade sauce for this Red Sauce Pasta is made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Since tomatoes are the main ingredient, be sure to use the ones which are ripe, red and less tangy. I have used fresh basil leaves as the main herb in the sauce. If you are making this pasta only for yourself or grown-ups, then you can add white or red wine in it. Otherwise, skip if making for kids. You can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead.
2. Pasta: For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta. Also, you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle, shell pasta or any other variety you prefer. In my recipe of Red Pasta, I have added macaroni.
3. Vegetables: For the veggies, I have used a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes. I have also added some sweet corn. Green peas work well, instead of sweet corn or you can do a mix of both. The mushrooms and capsicum (bell peppers) used in this recipe are sautéed in the pasta sauce. Alternatively, you can even steam or sauté the mushrooms and peppers separately. Also instead of steaming, you can opt to roast/grill or sauté the veggies and mushrooms. If you do not use mushrooms or capsicum, then just prepare the tomato sauce and add the steamed veggies at the end.
4. Toppings: The Red Pasta can be served with a topping of grated cheese and finely chopped fresh herbs. For the cheese, add cheddar cheese, processed cheese, mozzarella cheese or vegetarian parmesan cheese. For the herbs use fresh soft herbs like parsley, thyme, coriander leaves (cilantro), mint or basil.

How to Make Red Sauce Pasta

Prepare Veggies and Cook Pasta

1. First, steam or cook 1 cup mix chopped vegetables until they are cooked and tender. They should not be over cooked. You can steam or cook them in a stovetop pressure cooker for 1 whistle adding water as needed or steam in a steamer pan. You can even steam them in an Instant Pot for 10 minutes. Keep aside.
2. Heat 2.5 cups water with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil in a pan until the water comes to a boil.
3. Then, add 100 grams or 1 cup pasta.
4. On medium to high heat, begin to cook the pasta.
5. Cook pasta until al dente or you can opt to cook them until they are completely done.
6. Then, strain the pasta using a colander or strainer. Keep aside.

Make Red Sauce

7. In a food chopper, food processor, mixer or blender, crush 2 large tomatoes (220 grams) to a puree. Keep aside.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan, wok or kadai. Add 1 small to medium bay leaf or tej patta and 4 small to medium finely chopped garlic cloves. Sauté for some seconds or until the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
9. Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
10. Begin to sauté the onions on low to medium heat. 11. Sauté onions till translucent.
11. Then, add the prepared tomato puree. If using store bought tomato puree, add 1 cup of it.
12. Mix well and begin to sauté the mixture.
13. Stir at intervals and sauté until you see the oil leaving the sides and the sauce has thickened a bit. This means that the tomato puree has cooked.

Add Mushrooms and Capsicum

15. Next, add 1.25 cups chopped button mushrooms.
16. Mix very well.
17. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes on low to medium heat.
18. Next, add ⅓ cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper). Mix well.
19. Sauté the capsicum on low to medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. By now the capsicum will be half cooked and the mushrooms will be cooked.
20. Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
21. Then, add ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder and ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
22. Next, add salt as per taste. Mix very well. If using wine, then you can add 1 tablespoon white or red wine at this stage. Instead of wine, you can also add ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Make Red Sauce Pasta

23. Now, add the steamed vegetables and ⅓ cup steamed sweet corn kernels in the sauce.
24. Then, add the cooked pasta.
25. Gently toss and mix everything very well, so that the red sauce coats the pasta as well as the vegetables. At this step, you can also add some cream or grated cheese. After mixing if the pasta looks dry to you, add in a splash of water and mix thoroughly.
26. Turn off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves or your preferred herbs. Mix well.
27. Serve Red Sauce Pasta hot or warm. This pasta tastes good even when served at room temperature. While serving, you can garnish with some grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, processed or vegetarian parmesan) and fresh herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro and thyme.

Expert Tips

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. White Sauce Pasta Recipe (White Pasta) Arrabiata Pasta Mac and Cheese Recipe (Stovetop & Baked) Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe | Alfredo Pasta This Red Sauce Pasta recipe from the archives first published on November 2016 has been updated and republished on March 2023.

title: “Red Sauce Pasta Red Pasta " ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-16” author: “Yvonne Williams”

About Red Sauce Pasta

Red Sauce Pasta is a popular pasta variant made with a bright, tangy homemade tomato sauce. This tomato based sauce is usually made by sautéing onions & garlic in olive oil to which fresh or canned tomatoes or tomato puree is added. The ingredients are further cooked until the sauce thickens. This red sauce is later flavored with herbs like basil, parsley, thyme or oregano and spices like black pepper or red chilli flakes. My recipe has some mixed vegetables and button mushrooms in it. You can opt to prepare this Red Sauce Pasta recipe with or without vegetables and also feel free to exclude the mushrooms. It tastes great, whichever way you want to make it. I like to add the vegetables as they give a good taste, texture and also increase the nutrition factor. This Red Sauce Pasta is so tasty you will want to keep on making it often. Cooking the pasta, sauce and vegetables, all together takes some time. However, this particular recipe is not difficult and can be done easily, without any hassle. But, if you are looking for a quicker meal, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it. This recipe is vegetarian but you can opt to make it vegan if you do not add cheese. I worked on this recipe of Red Sauce Pasta on those many requests that I had been getting from my readers. Since pasta dishes are equally a favorite with the kids as well as grown-ups, it was not surprising for me to receive so many requests for the same. In addition to this Red Pasta, you will find more pasta recipes on this blog. Anyway, I also aim to continue adding more varieties of pasta recipes here.

Red Pasta Essentials

This recipe of Red Sauce Pasta will help you dish out a really nice and comforting dish for your loved ones. While the recipe is a basic guide that you can refer to for making the dish, here are some of the ingredients/elements that are quite a must for this recipe.

1. Red Sauce: As I have mentioned above the homemade sauce for this Red Sauce Pasta is made with fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Since tomatoes are the main ingredient, be sure to use the ones which are ripe, red and less tangy. I have used fresh basil leaves as the main herb in the sauce. If you are making this pasta only for yourself or grown-ups, then you can add white or red wine in it. Otherwise, skip if making for kids. You can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead.
2. Pasta: For the pasta, you can use semolina or whole wheat pasta. Also, you can use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, farfalle, shell pasta or any other variety you prefer. In my recipe of Red Pasta, I have added macaroni.
3. Vegetables: For the veggies, I have used a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes. I have also added some sweet corn. Green peas work well, instead of sweet corn or you can do a mix of both. The mushrooms and capsicum (bell peppers) used in this recipe are sautéed in the pasta sauce. Alternatively, you can even steam or sauté the mushrooms and peppers separately. Also instead of steaming, you can opt to roast/grill or sauté the veggies and mushrooms. If you do not use mushrooms or capsicum, then just prepare the tomato sauce and add the steamed veggies at the end.
4. Toppings: The Red Pasta can be served with a topping of grated cheese and finely chopped fresh herbs. For the cheese, add cheddar cheese, processed cheese, mozzarella cheese or vegetarian parmesan cheese. For the herbs use fresh soft herbs like parsley, thyme, coriander leaves (cilantro), mint or basil.

How to Make Red Sauce Pasta

Prepare Veggies and Cook Pasta

1. First, steam or cook 1 cup mix chopped vegetables until they are cooked and tender. They should not be over cooked. You can steam or cook them in a stovetop pressure cooker for 1 whistle adding water as needed or steam in a steamer pan. You can even steam them in an Instant Pot for 10 minutes. Keep aside.
2. Heat 2.5 cups water with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil in a pan until the water comes to a boil.
3. Then, add 100 grams or 1 cup pasta.
4. On medium to high heat, begin to cook the pasta.
5. Cook pasta until al dente or you can opt to cook them until they are completely done.
6. Then, strain the pasta using a colander or strainer. Keep aside.

Make Red Sauce

7. In a food chopper, food processor, mixer or blender, crush 2 large tomatoes (220 grams) to a puree. Keep aside.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan, wok or kadai. Add 1 small to medium bay leaf or tej patta and 4 small to medium finely chopped garlic cloves. Sauté for some seconds or until the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
9. Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
10. Begin to sauté the onions on low to medium heat. 11. Sauté onions till translucent.
11. Then, add the prepared tomato puree. If using store bought tomato puree, add 1 cup of it.
12. Mix well and begin to sauté the mixture.
13. Stir at intervals and sauté until you see the oil leaving the sides and the sauce has thickened a bit. This means that the tomato puree has cooked.

Add Mushrooms and Capsicum

15. Next, add 1.25 cups chopped button mushrooms.
16. Mix very well.
17. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes on low to medium heat.
18. Next, add ⅓ cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper). Mix well.
19. Sauté the capsicum on low to medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. By now the capsicum will be half cooked and the mushrooms will be cooked.
20. Add ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
21. Then, add ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder and ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
22. Next, add salt as per taste. Mix very well. If using wine, then you can add 1 tablespoon white or red wine at this stage. Instead of wine, you can also add ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Make Red Sauce Pasta

23. Now, add the steamed vegetables and ⅓ cup steamed sweet corn kernels in the sauce.
24. Then, add the cooked pasta.
25. Gently toss and mix everything very well, so that the red sauce coats the pasta as well as the vegetables. At this step, you can also add some cream or grated cheese. After mixing if the pasta looks dry to you, add in a splash of water and mix thoroughly.
26. Turn off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves or your preferred herbs. Mix well.
27. Serve Red Sauce Pasta hot or warm. This pasta tastes good even when served at room temperature. While serving, you can garnish with some grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, processed or vegetarian parmesan) and fresh herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro and thyme.

Expert Tips

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. White Sauce Pasta Recipe (White Pasta) Arrabiata Pasta Mac and Cheese Recipe (Stovetop & Baked) Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe | Alfredo Pasta This Red Sauce Pasta recipe from the archives first published on November 2016 has been updated and republished on March 2023.