Someday..when I 'm awfully low,
when the world is cold,
I will feel a glow .. just thinking of you...
and the way you "taste" tonight!
I am serious.I was awfully low and well it was in the thick of winter, so I was cold too...and then I had a forkful of this...and I have never been low (awfully atleast) or cold since!
S doesn't lie..Didn't I tell you your world would change with the Chicken a la` orange...?? Was I wrong?
Have I ever lied to you?
No....Never!! I am such a good girl eh ? ;)
This is one bowl of pasta that i would never wanna put down..till I finished a second helping of it!
Its amazingly light yet sooo flavorsome you will not realise its not rich.
Its got hardly any cream or cheese, so its perfect for those looking to go on a non fatty pasta route...
( On that matter, please use whole wheat pasta)
Its loaded with flavours of a charred roasted red bell pepper which is perfect coz of its acidic spicy sweet taste.. Its got the heavenly fragrance from basils and oregano..A tinge of sweetness to counter balance the pepper's acidic from the cream ..and some cheese shavings just to bring it all together and also coz
" A-spaghetti without a-cheese is like a-kiss without a-squeeze!
Please visit my new website www.haha-not-so-much.com ... LOL!!!
Coming to the pasta, well as you all know I am a pasta addict.. I can DEVOUR huge amounts of pasta unabashedly ..I can make them for lunch , dinner.. and yea even have baked leftover pasta as breakfast! ;)
I prefer my pasta sauce without any sort of meat coz i think the meat just covers the sauce's original tatse..and besides I would prefer grilled chicken/fish/beef as a side dish rather than in it!!
Lets get down to the basic now....
Here's what you need to shop for :
Ingredients:
- Pasta ( any short tube ones that can hold the sauce, Penne rigate, Orecchiette, which translates to “Little Ears", Ditalini, Mostaccioli, Rigatoni, Conchiglie (seashell pasta)
- 2 whole Red Bell Peppers
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced, 1/2 sliced thin
- 6-7 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Minced
- Fresh Basil , finely minced
- Whole Peppercorn 4
- Fresh Parmesan, Shaved Or Grated
- Mushrooms Sliced thin 5-6 ..i used button, you can use shitake, porcini or any other you kind you fancy.
- Yellow Bell pepper ( 1/4.. chopped fine)
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, oregano, chilli flakes
Preparation Instructions
- Roast red peppers on the gas..I mean roast the heck out of it.. and then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then remove seeds.Slice. Dice. Chop. Set aside.
- In a pan, pour the olive oil and heat it..Add some whole peppercorns..
- Add the garlic and onion and saute till pink...Add the roasted red pepper and saute till its heated through.No need to cook it.. Season acc to taste with salt and pepper.
- Let it cool a bit. Chuck everything in a processor and blend away till smooth. It will still have a wonderful texture. Add Olive oil if needed for pureeing.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add sliced onions, mushroom and yellow peppers and cook until soft. (I cook mushroom in butter, separately so that it browns) . Keep aside.
- In another pan heat some butter and olive oil, pour in the pepper puree, add the oregano and chilli flakes and stir together. Add plenty of salt.
- Add some vegetable stock ( or Vodka) to it and cook till its reduced and thick..(around 7-10 minutes..keep stirring so it doesn't stick please)...and really fragrant!
- Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary.
- Add cooked pasta, and then stir together.
- Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and basil and plenty of shaved Parmesan.
Hail Italy for its biggest and best invention and export!
Be prepared for repeat orders!
Warning : Its Addictive!
Look at that gorgeousness!!!
Note :
- I love, love, love these( roasted red peppers) things.Roasted red peppers are absolutely, positively something you should stock in your pantry or fridge if you don’t already. They’re just smashing in sauces like this one, but they’re also perfect cut into strips on a sandwich, chopped and spooned over a block of cream cheese with crackers, or just eaten on a plate for lunch with a pile of cottage cheese. ;)
- If you have the condition called "Hypothyroidism" like me, Red peppers are a very important piece of veggie and should be included in your diet.
- The amount of cream can be varied, depending on your personal taste and how rich you want the sauce to be.
- You can always add some toasted pine nuts, parsley and basil to it while pureeing the roasted red pepper.
- Always reserve some pasta water and use it to thin the sauce while serving, if so required.
- Always start with less amount of pasta in the sauce coz there is nothing worse than too little sauce for too much pasta!
- Always make sure the pasta is al dente .. Over cooked pasta is a sacrilege.
- You can totally omit the mushroom, onion , yellow pepper mix to it. It would still taste Divine!
