Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This sauce is a great way to use those wonderful roasted red bell peppers. You can roast bell peppers on your grill in the summer, in the winter you can easily roast them in your broiler. This sauce is easy to make and goes with just about any pasta you like. This sauce goes best with penne pasta topped with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped roasted red peppers
• ½ cup onions, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup chicken stock (or broth)
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Serves 4
Cook time: 30 minutes

Directions:

1. Roast the red bell peppers, then cover with foil or place in a plastic bag to steam for about 15 minutes. Then peel off the blackened skin and chop into large pieces.
2. While the peppers are steaming, chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the fresh basil leaves and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onions for a few minutes until they soften and become translucent, then add the minced garlic and season with salt & pepper. Cook the garlic for a minute stirring frequently, being careful not to burn the garlic. When done, remove from the heat.
4. Add the chopped peppers, onions and garlic to a food processor or blender. Add the broth and blend until smooth. Add the cream and basil leaves then blend just to mix in. Add salt & pepper as needed, pour over your pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan and dinner is done.

This sauce can be made in advance and will still taste great the next day. It can also be frozen, but you may want to add some more fresh basil after heating the frozen sauce.