Pasta With Roasted Peppers and Basil is easy to make if you roast the peppers ahead of time. For variety, toss in grilled vegetables-eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini-or strips of grilled chicken. Any way, the flavor's great! Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 (14.5 ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped 1 pound green peppers, roasted and peeled 1 pound sweet red peppers, roasted and peeled 1 pound sweet yellow peppers, roasted and peeled 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 8 cups cooked penne (short tubular pasta cooked without salt or fat) 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion, fennel seeds, and garlic; cover mixture, and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add chopped tomatoes to onion mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cut roasted green, red, and yellow peppers into julienne strips. Add roasted pepper strips, salt, and freshly ground pepper to tomato mixture; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Combine tomato mixture, cooked pasta, and basil in a large bowl, and toss mixture well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Roasted Peppers: Cut the peppers in half, and remove the seeds and membranes. Then place the peppers on a baking sheet, and press each with the palm of your hand to flatten them. Broil the peppers 5 1/2 inches from heat 15 to 20 minutes or until the skins are blackened. Immediately plunge the charred peppers into a bowl of ice water.
Peel the charred skins from the peppers, and discard the pepper skins. The soft, slippery roasted pepper flesh will be ready to use or to freeze.
