ROASTED RED PEPPER RIGATONI

sssh...don't tell anybody, but I am having a love affair with red bell peppers. I simply adore them! Can't ever get enough of that red flesh!
Maybe it has something to do with my life long love affair with the color red. Red lips, red sweater, red truck, red earrings, red dress, red shoes, red pocketbook...you get the picture.

                

1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced, peeled tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon each of salt & white pepper
8 ozs. rigatoni pasta, cooked just almost to al dente
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonated, that's a fancy word for rolling up the basil leaves and then cutting them in thin strips with a sharp knife

Place the bell peppers skin side down on a broiler pan and press down to flatten. Broil for 10 minutes or until the skin is blackened. Remove the pepper to a paper bag. Seal and allow to stand for 10 minutes or so. Remove from the bag and rub off the blackened skin with your fingers, don't worry, it comes off easily. Slice the pepper halves into 1/2-inch pieces. Roasting the peppers in this method makes them mighty sweet to your taste buds.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes, salt and white pepper. Simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the roasted bell pepper and cook just until heated through. Toss the pasta with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in serving bowl. Add the tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Top with the basil strands. Serve warm with a green salad on the side.
Serves 4

"If you want to eat something, eat a bell pepper. Crave something sweet? ... Bell pepper. Homer Simpson: It tastes good like pepper, but crunchy like a bell. 

 If you want to eat something, eat a bell pepper. Crave something sweet? ... Bell pepper. Homer Simpson: It tastes good like pepper, but crunchy like a bell. 


"If you want to eat something, eat a bell pepper. Crave something sweet? ... Bell pepper. It tastes good like pepper, but crunchy like a bell."~Homer Simpson