Thursday, December 16, 2010

Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I really like this pasta sauce because it's very easy to make in just a few minutes, but it's also different than the usual "pasta with sauce" that seems to be the stand-by of lazy evenings.  The sauce is fairly subtle, so I'd definitely recommend sticking with angel hair pasta rather than something chunkier, and be sure to serve with lots of cheese grated on top.  Unlike some pesto sauces, this one keeps well in the fridge already tossed with the pasta, so you can mix up all the pasta and sauce and easily heat up any leftovers for lunch the next day.  Although I didn't try it, I think you could probably cut down on the amount of olive oil in the sauce to make this a bit healthier.  Either way, I definitely give this two thumbs up for the unique, yummy flavor and ease of preparation.


Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (adapted from What Did You Eat?, original recipe here)
Serves 3-4

1 tablespoon pine nuts
3 roasted red peppers
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more to serve.

 Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound angel hair pasta

1. Toast the pine nuts until lightly browned in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Combine the pine nuts with the roasted peppers, garlic, and whole basil leaves and then blend with a hand-held blender, full-sized blender, or food processor.  Add the oil and cheese and puree until chunky.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain, and then add the pesto.  Toss to combine, and serve with more grated cheese.

3 comments:

  1. Lovely weeknight dish , I happen to have some roasted red peppers that need used

    ReplyDelete
  2. This recipe is just lovely, Sara, and perfect for this busy holiday season, or anytime for that matter, when there's just WAY too much to do and too little time to do it. I'm bookmarking this one right now!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I make a similar dish, though I found mine to still be good with penne despite being chunkier, I think a thinner pasta does suit it better :). Yours looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete