while working on my grocery list yesterday, i made the mistake of mindlessly strolling the pages of pinterest. i call it a mistake because what was to be my humble little list morphed into my stomach's demands. in truth though, it turned out to be a beautiful thing as we ended up with a new and delicious dinner.
from a new-to-me blog, lauren's latest, i unearthed this fabulous recipe for roasted red pepper and goat cheese alfredo. let me share it with you.
start by roasting 2 red peppers at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. this is enough heat and enough time to char them to perfection.
while your peppers are getting their roast on, sautee a small diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and some olive oil over medium high heat until they are browning and tender.
to that aromatic pan, add 1 cup of reduced fat half & half and 4 oz of goat cheese.
ok, let's talk about goat cheese because it deserves its own stanza. the richness of this cheese is like no other and if you've never tried it, i highly encourage you to check it out. for this recipe, i used a tomato basil, herbed version for a little something something extra.
turn your heat down to low and get to boiling your pasta in a different pot. really, any pasta would work, but i chose to use fettuccine this time around.
once the red peppers are finished roasting, carefully remove them from the oven and cover them in foil for ten minutes.
while the roasted peppers are camping out under a foiled tent, shred 2/3 cup parmesan cheese. it really is best to use the good stuff with that hard rind on the end.
now, remove the stem and seeds from the pepper with a knife and chop the beautifully roasted pepper into large chunks.
add your red peppers and parmesan cheese to the pan of other waiting ingredients and stir together until the cheese is melted. your pasta is probably boiled to al dente by now and you can drain that.
add your chunky sauce to your food processor and puree to your desired consistency. i left mine a slight bit chunky.
your finished product should have a consistent red hue that lets you know every bite of this dish will taste of the roasted pepper.
pour back into your pan and add the cooked pasta. stir!
once on the plate, i added a little extra shredded parm cheese and threw on some fresh basil from our one-plant garden.
this was such a unique pasta with punches of the roasted pepper and a consistent understated taste of goat cheese in every bite.
Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Pasta
Adapted from Lauren's Latest
Ingredients:
2 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fat free half & half
4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and cover with foil 10 minutes.
In the mean time, saute onions and garlic in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.
Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.
