I live in an area where I am surrounded by the most amazing fresh pasta! Pasta is a vehicle for culinary exploration and one of my favorite finds is this Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce that I have fallen in love with. Pasta is a heavy food in and of itself, so I love that this sauce is rich and decadent however tastes so fresh and is really easy to make. I use this sauce to top my pasta but it makes a lot so then I use it on pretty much everything I eat for the rest of the week: chicken, shrimp, rice you name it. This is an all around delicious, go-to sauce.
Parmesan, garlic and fresh basil paired with the roasted red peppers really make this sauce pop. These fresh ingredients add a nice complexity and a different spin on pasta sauce. For this recipe you can use whatever pasta you are craving. Just prepare the pasta as directed and set aside. To start the sauce, chop up an onion, the size really doesn't matter because it will be pureed. If onions make you cry, like me, chop them as coarsely as you want. Add the chopped onion to a skillet with minced garlic and butter. I saute the mixture over medium heat to prevent the butter from burning. I know the onion and garlic mixture is ready for the next step when the onions start turning a light, golden brown. Coarsely chop the roasted red peppers and add to the skillet, stir until evenly heated. Next transfer your mixture to the blender. Before blending, hold onto the lid nice and tight or else you'll be cleaning red peppers off your ceiling for daysss. Puree to your desired texture. This recipe offers a lot of room for modifications!
Transfer the roasted red pepper, onion and garlic puree back to the skillet with more butter. The more butter the merrier, within reason! Stir the butter and mixture until completely melted.
Add the chicken broth chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. This is where your sauce can become your flavor masterpiece. This sauce can be taken in so many different directions. I have shared with you my favorite way but you can adjust it to fit your food mood!
Finally, add the parsley and marinated heavy cream, lactose free for your digesting pleasure! The final product just looks creamy and wonderful.
Once the sauce is done, dinner is ready!! I used fresh pasta because I have no excuse not to. There are a ton of shops right near my apartment where they are making fresh pasta, but whatever you have in your pantry will work just as well. I was in the mood for a heartier pasta, so this time I used ziti. I love how the ziti absorbs the sauce! I topped the pasta and sauce with fresh basil and LOTS of parmesan. This recipe is simple but so delicious. Chicken or shrimp goes really well with this sauce as well. This is one of my favorite winter-time comfort foods and everyone can enjoy this recipe, lactose free or not. Having a creamy pasta sauce is no longer off the table!
Buying fresh herbs can be expensive and feel like a burden because when a recipe calls for only a teaspoon or tablespoon it just doesn't seem worth the purchase and feels so wasteful! I love using fresh herbs so to justify this purchase I chop up all of the herbs that I buy and whatever I don't use I freeze in little ice cube trays with water. You could use olive oil or butter if you wanted but I like the freedom of the water. I just pop them in the microwave before I need them and drain the water. There is about a teaspoon of herbs in each cube. It is an extra step but totally worth taking the time to do! Just label them and throw them in the freezer for another day!
Recipe Details:
Ingredients
12 ounces of pasta (choose your favorite)
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2lb of roasted red peppers
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream (more to taste)
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
chopped fresh basil
parmesan cheese
Cook pasta as instructed by directions and set aside. Coarsely chop the onion and put it in a large skillet with garlic and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for about 2-3 minutes until the onions become soft and start turning slightly golden. Chop red peppers into large chunks and add to skillet, stirring until red peppers become hot. Remove skillet from the heat once mixture is hot.
Transfer roasted red pepper, onion and garlic mixture into a blender or food processor. Puree mixture until completely blended.
Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in the skillet and pour the puree into the skillet. Add broth, salt, pepper, and chili powder into the skillet, stir until ingredients are evenly incorporated. Next add the heavy cream and fresh parsley, gently mix together until heated.
Plate pasta and add as much sauce as desired! Top with fresh basil and parmesan to taste!
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