Saturday, May 21, 2011

Marinated Roasted Red Pepper Pasta + Seared Artichoke Hearts

These marinated roasted red peppers are not only good as the star of a cheese plate, they can also be a wonderful addition to any sandwich and pretty killer atop polenta, but I like them best blended and tossed with warm pasta for a comforting and simple weeknight meal.

This slightly sweet, smoky red pepper sauce is a nice change of pace from the usual what-are-we-gonna-have-for-dinner spaghetti with tomato sauce. The pan-seared artichoke hearts with their meaty texture sends this one out of the park.







Marinated Roasted Red Pepper Pasta + Seared Artichoke Hearts

2 tablespoons olive oil
medium onion (diced)
1/4 cup white wine
3 roma tomatoes (peeled, chopped)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 servings fettuccine pasta
parmesan cheese, parsley (garnish)

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onion until translucent; this should take about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and allow most of the liquid to evaporate. Add the tomatoes, the marinated roasted red peppers (but not the marinating liquid), the red pepper flakes, and the tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth. Toss cooked pasta in the sauce until it's coated. Top with seared artichoke hearts, parsley, and parmesan cheese.