Recipe Day: Oh So Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Every once in awhile I like to throw out a recipe that I've created or just plain thoroughly enjoyed enough that I need to share it.  Today is one of those days and today, my friends, I'm going to tell you all about one of my favourite meals at the moment.

Ever find something that is easy, oh so tasty, everyone in the family likes it and you actually have to hold back from making it too often so no one gets tired of it?  Right now, that is where I am with this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta  It is ridiculously easy and has an amazingly short list of ingredients.  At the same time, it really lends itself to helping clear out any crisper drawer inmates that need to be used up before expiration.  It is a guaranteed winner in our house.  How do I know?  Well, if dinner is anything other than a huge flop hubby says 'Good dinner, Dear'.  If he really enjoys it, he'll have seconds and say something like "That was really good".  Well, when I first made RRPP I got "That was amazing. You should make that again".  My son chimed in in agreement.  That is when you know you've hit it out of the park and this is how you do it:

You'll need:

Seriously THE easiest way to cut peppers.

3-4 red peppers.
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small to medium onion, chopped finely
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1/2 sour cream ( full or reduced fat, your choice)
Boneless skinless chicken breast, if you want to add meat
Pasta of your choice
Goat cheese for topping, optional

Roasting those peppers!

About an hour before you're going to throw dinner together, wash 3-4 red peppers.  De-seed. Place open side down on a cookie sheet and place in the oven set on 500 degrees or broil.  You want them set on the top or second rack height from the top.  Not so close that they instantly burn, far enough away that the juices get cooked well, but still close enough that after a few minutes you notice the skins blistering.  You want to cook them like this until you smell them, and the skins are almost all black. Mine usually take about 20 minutes.  Take them out when done and leave them on the cookie sheet to cool down so you can handle them.

I cooked my chicken first, then added my onion and garlic.
 I removed the chicken for cutting
 before adding the peppers and sour cream

When you are ready to make the sauce, get your pasta going.  Anything works really.  I prefer spaghetti noodles or a small shell pasta.  At this point, heat your oil in a sauce pan, and then sautee the onion and garlic.  If you are adding chicken, it's best to get it cooked up as well.  Either in the pan or in the oven, whatever works for you.

Ok.  Now, peel the blistered, black skins off of your peppers.  Put the fleshy part in a food processor or blender.  Process until it is pureed.  Not too much, but so that there aren't any chunks left.  Pour this into the small sauce pan with the cooked onion and garlic.  Heat it up a bit, add about 1/2 c of sour cream.  Stir until combined.  That's it.  Seriously.  Pour that goodness over your pasta and it is divine.  We really like to crumble goat cheese on top of it.  It really completes the dish.  If you are looking to add more vegetables, my favourite to add is some roasted broccoli.  Its so easy.  Wash, cut, sprinkle with EVOO, salt and pepper and throw it in the oven after you take out the peppers and lower the temp to around 450.  When it is starting to really show its brilliant green, take it out and add it to your pasta and sauce.  Add the chicken at this point as well.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with
Goat Cheese, Chicken and Broccoli

So there you have it.  Probably one of the easiest from-scratch meals and really pretty good for you.  If you were to use a substitute for pasta, it would be really really good for you!  I would even be tempted to say that you could easily use greek yogurt in place of sour cream, if that is what you had in the house.

Enjoy!