Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This recipe was posted on The Pioneer Woman‘s site in March of this year and every week since I’ve thought about making it. So what’s taken me so long to finally try it? Well, I was working up the courage – you see, I didn’t actually know if I liked red peppers and those are sort of a critical component in the dish. Plus, I’d already built such high expectations for the dish in my head so I was afraid of the potential letdown. I was at the store the other day and saw 3 huge red peppers in the reduced produce section for $1!! It seemed like too good a deal to pass up so I bought them and set out to make this dish.
Roasting the peppers was an adventure. We have a gas stove so I just did it right on the stovetop, rotating the peppers every so often. Peeling the charred skins was a messy job, but simple. Once that is out the way, the dish quickly comes together. I skipped the pine nuts and also cut back by about half on the heavy cream. The final result was delicious! It definitely lived up to my expectations and I’m glad to have another pasta recipe to add to my collection! I’ve included the recipe below but if you’re a visual person, it’s probably worth stopping by Ree’s site for her step-by-step photo instructions.

Roasted Red Pepper

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
3 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional – I omitted)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
flat leaf parsley, finely minced (I used basil)
fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.
Roast red peppers (on grill, under broiler or on stovetop), then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then remove seeds. Set aside.
If using pine nuts, lightly toast them in a skillet. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add salt to taste. Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together.
Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of Parmesan.