This weekend we had some friends visiting from DC (former Bostonians) and I wanted to conjure up a meal that was tasty and filling, especially since we were celebrating one of their Birthdays!  I felt the urge to stray away from my classic entertaining dishes and go for something new that I could add to my repertoire.  I thought about dishes that I ask my family to make on special occasions and decided on  a meal that my brother has perfected over the years: Roasted Red Peppers w/ Penne.

I was filled with nervous excitement when I began to cook this dish, excitement due to the fact that I was cooking something new and trying a new technique (can you believe I’ve never roasted my own peppers!?) and nervous because I was trying to recreate a delicious dish in hopes of pleasing the Birthday girl.

Roasted Red Peppers

This is the approach my brother takes and works well if your kitchen is equipped with a gas stove.  Turn the burner on medium heat and place the pepper directly on the grate above the flames.  Rotate with tongs until all sides of the pepper are equally charred, then place in a bowl and cover for anywhere from 10-20 minutes.  By that time the peppers should be cool enough to handle- the skin should peel off easy.  Its alright if some of the black bits stay on, it just adds more yummy flavor.  De-seed and slice according to recipe.

Roasted Red Peppers w/ Penne
Ingredients:
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded*, cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 lb penne
1 TBS Butter
olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley and grated cheese to serve

Saute onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic in olive oil with salt and pepper.  When veggies are tender add the stock and butter and simmer for 10-15 minutes while the pasta cooks in salted water.  When the pasta is almost done cooking, drain and add to the sauce to finish cooking in the liquid for another 3-5 minutes.  Let pasta set another 5-10 minutes to absorb the liquid and serve with fresh parsley and grated cheese.

My Man Crow bought this WINE earlier in the day because it reminded him of Crows.  The Pinot Grigio was very palatable with this dish.

*With a knife cut an X into the bottom of the tomato, put in boiling water for 45 seconds, remove and let cool.  The skin should peel off easily where the X was made, then cut in half and squeeze out seeds.