Penne Rigate with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

This creamy pasta sauce pulls off a neat trick. It tastes like a cream sauce, looks like a cream sauce, and holds its texture like a cream sauce, but it’s entirely dairy-free thanks to silken tofu.

Silken tofu is the unsung hero of vegan cream sauces. Blended smooth, it mimics the mouthfeel of béchamel or ricotta without the lengthy cashew soaking that most dairy-free sauces require. Firm tofu won’t work here; silken is the key.

Sautéing the carrots, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic until fully soft before blending is what gives the sauce body and sweetness. Undercooked vegetables stay fibrous and blend chunky; properly softened ones puree silky smooth.

Blending in two batches rather than one big load is the smart move. Smaller portions spin through the blender blades more evenly, so there’s no unblended carrot chunks in your smooth sauce.

Penne rigate is the right pasta shape here. The ridges (rigate means “ridged") catch the sauce better than smooth penne, and the tube shape traps sauce inside each piece so every bite is coated.

Kitchen Tips

• Rinse and drain pasta after boiling as directed. This stops the cooking and prevents gumminess, critical when you’re keeping it warm while building the sauce.
• Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining just in case. If the sauce ends up too thick after blending, a splash thins it without diluting flavor.
• Blend hot for the silkiest result. Warm vegetables and warm tofu puree smoother than cold.
• Taste the sauce before seasoning. Silken tofu is naturally bland and needs more salt than you’d expect; season assertively.

Variations

• Add a roasted red pepper from a jar to intensify the sweet pepper flavor.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor depth without dairy.
• Top each serving with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil ribbons for texture and color.