I absolutely love roasted peppers. So I’ve been experimenting with them, trying to come up with the best possible dishes I can use them in (which is a ton of fun!). I find that roasted red peppers complement sauces rather nicely, so here’s the first dish I came up with: Smoky Beef Pasta with a Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and a touch of basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F for about 15-20 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and roast the fresh chillis and red bell peppers until cooked through and tender.
Once done, sprinkle them with salt and transfer to a plate to cool down.
When the peppers are cold enough, or barely warm, blend them with vegetable broth (about 1/2 cup) until they turn into a nice paste.
In the meantime, start working on the sauce. Sautee onions, garlic and bacon in a large skillet, then add ground beef and smoky paprika and cook until browned for 5-10 minutes.
Add tomato paste, the roasted pepper puree, herbs and more garlic (never enough), simmer for 30 minutes.
It's time to cook the pasta. Fill a large enough pot with water and add 2 tbsps of salt.
When pasta is 3/4 done, discard the water and add pasta to the sizzling sauce.
Add heavy cream, salt and pepper and simmer down for 5-10 more minutes. Add more vegetable broth if the sauce gets too thick.
Add freshly grated Parmesan, fresh basil and parsley.
Turn off the stove and finish with a generous dollop of sour cream.
Mix everything together and serve immediately!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F for about 15-20 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and roast the fresh chillis and red bell peppers until cooked through and tender.
Once done, sprinkle them with salt and transfer to a plate to cool down.
When the peppers are cold enough, or barely warm, blend them with vegetable broth (about 1/2 cup) until they turn into a nice paste.
In the meantime, start working on the sauce. Sautee onions, garlic and bacon in a large skillet, then add ground beef and smoky paprika and cook until browned for 5-10 minutes.
Add tomato paste, the roasted pepper puree, herbs and more garlic (never enough), simmer for 30 minutes.
It's time to cook the pasta. Fill a large enough pot with water and add 2 tbsps of salt.
When pasta is 3/4 done, discard the water and add pasta to the sizzling sauce.
Add heavy cream, salt and pepper and simmer down for 5-10 more minutes. Add more vegetable broth if the sauce gets too thick.
Add freshly grated Parmesan, fresh basil and parsley.
Turn off the stove and finish with a generous dollop of sour cream.
Mix everything together and serve immediately!
Tips for the perfect pasta dish:
- For the non-lovers of spicy: You can definitely skip on the hot chillies.
- For a balance in flavour: Make sure to deseed the chillies before cooking. The sauce won’t turn out too hot or too overpowering. You can also double the amount or cut it in half, depending on your liking.
- For a smoky, roasty kick: You can also roast the peppers on the stove top with the gas burner turned to the highest setting for that nice, roasty flavour.
- Choosing the right type of pasta: For meatier or chunkier sauces like this one, you should use a type of pasta that is wider and textured so that it holds the sauce better.
- Pasta water: Make sure the water in which you boil the pasta is salty enough, otherwise the pasta will turn out a bit bland.