Linguine Pasta in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

When you are looking for a fuss-free, stress-free dinner recipe that will put your appetite at ease after a long and tiring day at work, more often than not, a simple Pasta creation comes to your rescue. The versatility of Pasta makes it easy to create interesting variations, both in texture, taste and presentation, without enrolling in any culinary schools! Like this bowl of linguine tossed in roasted red pepper sauce, drenched in olive oil, parsley, and topped with cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Serve it with some french bread or salad and you can sit back, enjoy the food and relax in some engaging conversation with your family, just how Dinner is meant to be!

Ingredients
Photo & recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking

1 medium clove garlic
12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 cup small grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. black olives, rinsed and chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole wheat
12 oz. dried linguine or spaghetti
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for serving

Method
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle it with 1/2 tsp. salt and using the flat side of a chef's knife mash it to a paste.

In a large bowl, stir the garlic paste, roasted peppers, tomatoes, parsley, 3 Tbs. of the oil, the olives, and the pepper flakes.

Heat the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring frequently, until the smaller crumbs are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt.

Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander. Add the hot pasta to the red pepper mixture, toss to combine, and add just enough of the reserved pasta water to moisten the pasta dish. Add the cheese, toss well, and season to taste with salt.

Finally, add the breadcrumbs and additional cheese, if you like. Serve the Linguine with some Homemade Garlic Bread for a lovely and filling meal.


When you have more time on hand, you can add some chopped and pre-cooked vegetables to the sauce, like carrots, peas, chickpeas, maybe some broccoli and/or avocado. Non-vegetarians can take it one step higher by adding chicken or sauteed shrimp, if you like. Be creative and add ingredients that will enhance the flavor as well as the nutrition aspect of the recipe!

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