Tomato + Bell Pepper Pasta
it's like a soup but in pasta form!!!
Over the summer, whenever there were little kids coming to stay and a lot of pasta was forecasted- I almost always turned to this recipe. It’s super easy with a flavor that kids love BUT, it makes it so easy to sneak veggies into the pasta in a way that just blends seamlessly into the sauce. The best part is there’s no actual simmering of the sauce. All the veggies are roasted until nicely caramelized and then blended- making it a very nice hands-off sort of recipe. The picture below has some ground turkey in it as well which is a nice way to add in some extra protein if you feel like it.
Ingredients:
2 bell peppers cut in half and deseeded
4 tomatoes cut in half
1 head of garlic
2 onions cut into quarters with the root taken off
pasta of choice
fresh picked basil and grated parmesan for garnish
1-2 tbsp of butter
Method:
Preheat your oven to 400 F or 200 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put your cut veggies on top. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle a good amount of salt (1 tsp) all over the veggies. For the garlic, I like slicing the head in half, putting it in some foil with some oil and salt, and wrapping it tight. Nestle that within the veggies.
Roast the veg until nice and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. Make sure to keep it moving around so it doesn’t burn or stick. When the veggies are completely soft, transfer them to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel.
This will trap the steam and allow the skins to peel off easily from the bell peppers and tomatoes. However, this step is optional- it just allows for a smoother sauce.
When the veggies are peeled and slightly cooler, place them in a blender and blend. Don’t forget to squeeze your garlic into this as well. Add a little water until you get a sauce-like consistency. I season with a BIT of salt and lemon. You want to hold back some salt as pasta water is always very salty.
Boil your pasta in heavily salted water. When al-dente (has a bite to the pasta), add some of the sauce into a pan along with the pasta. Add in a tbsp of butter, some grated parm, and some pasta water. Mix to combine until the butter, cheese and sauce emulsifies and you get a smooth creamy and glossy sauce. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.
Garnish with lemon, basil and more parm.