Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet

This Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet is so easy and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.  A jar of roasted red peppers brings a great depth of flavor and the cream cheese balances the flavor and gives it a creamy texture. Oh – and this recipe earns extra credit for being made in one skillet! (Woohooo for few dishes!!) 😉

Although Mother Nature doesn’t seem 100% sure that it’s spring (talk about a temperature roller coaster!), we are loving these longer days.  We had a couple warms days last week, and seeing how much McKinley loves the outdoors has been fun.  She loves walks to the park, blowing bubbles, petting the neighbor dogs, and stealing the football from Zach and I’s game of catch. 

However, last week all of that changed when the neighbors gave us the little outdoor slide their girls grew out of.  McKinley is so attached to this thing – in fact the first night we got it, she went up and down it 25 times, at least!  And she’s become the cutest little daredevil.  Little Miss Indipendent will now slide down on her bottom, on her back, or on her stomach head-first.  No matter which way, she’s sure to have a smile on her face and a “weeeee” as she slides down! 

When we get home from work and daycare at the end of the day, we can hardly wait to get comfy and head to the backyard.  Therefore, quick and easy meals are required!  The sooner we’ve got our bellies full and the dishes done, the sooner we can enjoy the outdoors.  This Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet is perfect for these kinds of nights – it’s on the table in less than 30 minutes and cleanup is a breeze. 

You will need a large skillet as this is a pretty good sized dish.

I always have a jar of roasted red peppers in the pantry.  They’re sweet, packed with red pepper flavor, and the roasted notes bring any dish to the next level.  We love the addition of the red pepper flakes as they bring the perfect amount of zip to the recipe.  However, if your family isn’t fond of spicy food, simply omit that ingredient and it’ll be very mild, yet still full of flavor.  So, long story short, add this recipe to your menu for the week - you can thank me later! 😉 Have a great week!!

If you love a simple one-pot meal, you're going to be excited to hear that I compiled 26 of my favorite one-pot pasta recipes here!!

Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet

Author:Kelsey

This Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet is so easy and perfect for a quick weeknight meal. A jar of roasted red peppers brings a great depth of flavor and the cream cheese balances the flavor and gives it a creamy texture. Oh – and this recipe earns extra credit for being made in one skillet! (Woohooo for few dishes!!)  

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 ½ c water
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 15 oz can roasted red peppers drained and diced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• 8 oz uncooked bowtie pasta
• 4 oz cream cheese cubed

Instructions

 

• In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until fully cooked; drain.
• Add the water, tomato sauce, diced peppers, sugar and all seasonings. Turn the burner on high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. 
  
• Stir in the pasta and bring to a boil again.
  
• Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  
• Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until combined. Enjoy!
  

Keyword easy meal, easy recipe, one pot meal, pasta skillet

Tried this recipe?Follow me at @dancearoundthekitchen.kelsey and let me know how you liked it!

Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck and Menu Plan Monday.