Date Night Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Each year, me and Nick stay in for Valentine’s Day. We just don’t like the concept of going to a restaurant to just be a number and being rushed in and out just to get another table sat. We prefer to order Italian food to go, or sometimes I cook.
I made this recipe for the first time for Valentine’s Day, but I have gone back to this recipe a number of times since then. It has never served us wrong! The first time I made this was before I started Nomming with Nicola and a few friends asked me for the recipe, which is what helped inspire me to finally make one to begin with! So thank you guys, you did more than you know 🙂
This roasted red pepper sauce is creamy, rich, thick, FULL of flavor, and soooo pasta worthy. It is one of those dishes that is PERFECT to impress a significant other, your family and loved ones. It is pretty simple too – which is why I keep coming back to it! We like to serve this alongside a nicely blanched green vegetable like broccolini or asparagus tossed in olive oil and garlic salt. If you’re feeling extra indulgent, served along with a loaf of italian bread, sourdough, or rosemary bread would also be excellent (which we can vouge for because we’ve done that!)
Please tag me @nommingwithnicola and #nommingwithnicola if you recreate this recipe. I would love to see your hard work!
Date Night Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz dry linguine or fettuccine pasta (I prefer linguine)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1.5 tbsp flour
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 (16 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers (3-4 peppers) drained
- 1/2 cup finely shredded pecorino romano cheese (may sub parmesean), plus more for serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf italian parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions on package to al dente.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Then add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
- Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Then add milk slowly, whisking the whole time.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until it begins to thicken. Reduce heat slightly. Stir in cream, bell peppers and romano cheese and cook just until the cheese has melted and become incorporated into the sauce.
- Carefully pour mixture into a blender, cover and blend until peppers are pureed. Return sauce to pot, then add drained pasta to sauce, tossing evenly to coat. Continue cooking pasta in the sauce for at least one minute to allow the sauce to incorporate into the pasta.
- Toss in half of basil and parsley into sauce, reserve other half for plating on top of pasta. Serve immediately.
- Recipe source: Nomming with Nicola