The Creamiest Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (Vegan)

Adjacent to your stockpot, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

Add shallots and garlic with ½ tsp salt and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, then add to a high speed blender with roasted red peppers.

Blend until very smooth and pour back into the cooking pan, add in your coconut milk or heavy cream, and stir to combine.  Cover and turn heat to low.

Add penne to the pot of boiling, generously salted water and cook for two minutes less than packaged directions require (about 6-8 minutes). You want it to be a bit less than al dente.  Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, add penne to the pan of sauce.

Add ½ of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and stir to combine.

Stream in as much of the left over ½ cup of pasta water as needed to give you a nice, saucy pasta.  Taste and add salt if it needs it (it depends how heavily salted your pasta cooking water was).  Finish with a few cracks of black pepper.

Serve pasta topped with fresh basil, if desired.