I know I already posted a recipe featuring peppers and pasta, but Danar’s feature about scurvy points out what a good source of vitamin C red peppers are, so this recipe is timely. Serve some steamed broccoli spears on top, or some sauteed spinach, and it’s colorful as well as healthy. Oh, and this sauce would be good on lots of things other than pasta – vegetables, fish, whatever – it’s one of those rare food items that manages to be quite light (it’s basically just pureed vegetables with a bit of olive oil) but really rich-tasting at the same time.
2 large red bell peppers
1 small or medium onion
3-4 garlic cloves
olive oil
about a handful of basil leaves (or some dried basil)
about 1/3 cup grated parmesan, pecorino, asiago or other cheese (optional)
red chile flakes
about 1/2 lb. pasta
Heat your oven’s broiler. Place whole peppers on a high rack in the oven on a baking sheet covered with foil. You’re going to broil the peppers until they are black over much of their surface, turning as needed. Start out with 10 or so minutes on the first side, then turn as needed to get them good and black.
When peppers are done roasting, place them in a bowl, and cover with the foil you used on the baking sheet or a plate or something. Let sit until cool enough to handle (this whole roasting business is the sort of thing to do while you’re doing something else, because it’s time consuming but doesn’t require much hands-on time).
Slice or chop onion and sautee in olive oil until starting to brown. If you don’t have fresh basil add some dried basil to the onions as they cook.
Put a large pot of water for pasta on the stove to boil.
When peppers are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and get rid of the the stems and seeds (yes, they’re slimy). Save the juices that have accumulated in the bowl.
Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions.
Meanwhile, put in a blender: garlic cloves, roasted peppers, sauteed onions, basil, chile flakes, any residual pepper juices and a bit more olive oil. Puree until very smooth.
Once you drain pasta, put red pepper sauce in pasta pot and heat through, then add pasta to sauce, stir to coat. Add cheese and stir until it melts. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir again and serve (preferably with something green).

Posted by: admin