We've taken to making this when we need a snack for the airport because we can never have enough travel-friendly recipes. But if you don't need to travel, this Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta recipe is also perfect to have at home.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. When it boils, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water then drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, roasted peppers, and sugar (more as needed to balance the tomatoes sourness), and cook until just thickened. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the mixture to a blender and process until very smooth, at least 2 minutes.
Wipe out the pan then return it to the stove over medium low heat, add the remaining olive oil and heat until it is shimmering. Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the pasta, purée, and salt to the pan and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the pasta water and cook over medium-low until sauce just clings to the noodle (add more pasta water as desired to thin the sauce). To serve, plate and top each serving with walnuts and a crumble of goat cheese.