Roasting has been my favorite “go to” technique for cooking veggies; it caramelizes the sugar in the veggies, creating a delicious crispy exterior with a creamy interior. Besides you get the oven to do all the work, while you indulge in the food.

Roasting peppers is a story of its own! Ever since I discovered roasted peppers & my fridge/freezer are always stacked with piles of them!

Add roasted peppers to white/cheddar cheese sandwiches, top grilled chicken with them or even add them to your white or tomato sauce & you are in total heaven!

This roasted pepper pasta sauce is so delicious, can be prepared ahead of time & perfectly refrigerated & frozen for long periods! I added mushroom to the sauce to increase the nutritional value & give it a creamy texture!

Ingredients:

• 6 small red peppers whole not sliced
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 125 gm mushrooms stems removed & sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 C.
2. Place the red peppers on a non stick baking tray & bake in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour flipping them twice so as not to burn from one side. Peppers are done when they are totally soft, broken down & charred with black spots all over (see above picture for reference).
3. Place the roasted peppers in a glass bowl & cover with plastic wrap; leave the peppers to sweat & cool down to be able to handle.
4. Peel the peppers (the skin will come out easily), remove the seeds & roughly chop them. Set aside.
5. Heat a large pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil & saute the onion until soft & light brown. Add the mushrooms & garlic & cook until the mushrooms are cooked. Add the balsamic vinegar & toss to combine. Turn off heat.
6. In a blender, add the onion/mushroom mixture, the roasted peppers, remaining olive oil & parmesan cheese. Blend until you have a smooth sauce (see above picture for reference). Season with salt & pepper.
7. Store sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
8. To prepare the pasta: add 1 cup sauce to one pack (400 gm) cooked pasta adding enough pasta water to make the sauce loose enough. Sprinkle with chopped parsley & parmesan cheese.

Notes:

1. The peppers can be roasted & peeled up to a week in advance. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil & store in an airtight container in the fridge.