Roasted red pepper pasta comes together easily in a blender with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and a touch of honey to create a delicious sauce.
Course: Main Course
Keyword: feta cheese, honey, minced garlic, pasta, pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, vegetarian, yellow onion
Ingredients
2large red bell peppers
3tablespoonsolive oildivided
8ouncesdried pastaI used medium-sized shells
1/2small yellow oniondiced
6 to 8clovesgarlicminced
1/4cupfeta cheese
1tablespoonhoney
1/2 to 1teaspoonchili pepper flakes
salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Wash and dry your bell peppers, and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of oil over the peppers, using your hands to coat them thoroughly. Place them on the baking sheet, and turn the broiler in your oven on high.
Let the peppers char on each side under the broiler, checking on them every few minutes until the outsides of the peppers are blackened on all sides.
Remove the peppers from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Cook your pasta according to package directions. When it’s done, save about 1/3 cup of the pasta water in case you need to thin your sauce.
In a skillet, heat another 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add in the diced onions. Saute until they are soft and toss in the garlic. Saute for just a couple minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just starting the brown. Remove from heat.
In a blender or food processor, add the other two tablespoons of olive oil, the onion/garlic mixture, feta cheese, honey, chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Carefully remove and discard the skin from the charred peppers, discard the seeds, and then rough chop the peppers before adding them to the blender.
Blend the mixture until it is smooth. If it is still thicker than you like, blend in a little pasta water until you reach your desired consistency. (If the sauce got a bit cold, add it to your skillet, along with the pasta, to reheat it a bit.)