29 August 2009

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Roasted pepper and Goat Cheese Pasts

The other day we took a trip to a small southern Okanagan Valley community surrounded by fruit orchards, fruit stands, local wineries, farmlands and rolling desert hills. The community of Oliver neighbours the Sonora Desert (Canada's only desert) thus enjoying an arid climate producing vineyards and orchards of apples, plums, cherries, pears and peaches.

The main purpose of our trip was to volunteer at the Okanagan Gleaners.

This society takes vegetables that would normally have been wasted and turn them into soup mixes. They also process and dry apples and pears. The Okanagan Gleaners is run solely on volunteer power and donations. Volunteers are always welcome to come help for a day, a week, or a month! The society produces mainly dried soup mix packaged into "100-serving" sealed plastic bags. Seventy of these bags are sealed into drums and shipped to various agencies around the world for the hungry and needy children of the world. Of course since we were in prime southern wine country we also had our arms twisted and visited several wineries along the way and had an afternoon at the beach.

Vegetable growing season is in full swing so what better way to highlight the season by making a delicious pasta dish !!! Pureeing the roasted peppers into a sauce is an easy way to add a generous vegetable serving to a meal. Peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, and when roasted they still retain substantial amounts of this important vitamin. To make this a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. Also I added a mixture of my favourite heirloom tomatoes on top for a delicious garnish and a boost of flavour.

This is my pasta dish for this weeks Presto Pasta Nights for Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast .

**Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta**
3 large red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups hot cooked bow tie pasta (8 ounces uncooked)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preheat broiler.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel; place peppers in a blender.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add garlic mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) to blender with peppers; process until smooth. Combine bell pepper mixture and basil with pasta. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Serves 4

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

25 comments:

  1. Peppers are so delicious and goat's cheese too. With pasta, that combo is to die for!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. I love this pasta Vall loo amazing!! xxGloria

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  3. oh, i haven't made red pepper sauce in forever... it looks delicious.

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  4. So nice of you to volunteer. What a beautiful pasta you made. You make me feel so hungry Val :)

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  5. I would absolutely devour this.

    I love PPN!

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  6. It's just gorgeous, Val! Ah, to spend some time in Wine Country...one of my favorite places to be :D

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  7. I love this recipe and am so glad to have found your blog! Do you have a 'follow' button? Hope you stop by sometime soon. Blessings, Roz (aka bella)

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  8. Val, this sounds like a winning dish! I love the combo of flavors!

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  9. Love the combo of roasted peppers with goat cheese - I heart goat cheese! :D

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  10. Val,
    What a great cause you volunteer for and your pasta looks so delicious.

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  11. I wish it wasn't so hot - pasta sounds sooo good, but a little heavy and warm.

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  12. Canada has a desert? Really? Shame on me! I didn't have any idea!

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  13. It's been too long since I cooked pasta. Your dish says I should make pasta soon! :)

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  14. Pasta with roasted peppers and goat cheese sounds excellent!

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  15. Tasty and healthy! Great combination Val. You are right, we have to take advantage of all the vegetables which are ripe now, as winter is approaching soon and we will definitely miss them.

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  16. How I love the combination of flavours your pasta always offers. Hvn't been able to find goat milk, so no goat cheese for me. Another beautiful pasta Val. Delcious!

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  17. Sounds wonderful. I would increase the goat cheese though, because I never can get enough :)

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  18. What an absolutely brilliant idea! I wonder if there is such an organization here in Nova Scotia.

    As for your glorious pasta..I'm drooling. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights yet again. It's always a pleasure when you do.

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  19. Simple and delcious combo. I love red pepper sauce.

    This time of year is the best. I love the bounty of the farms.

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  20. what a wonderful cause you were able go and help!

    Love this dish, the combo of red peppers and goat cheese sounds so wonderful to me... may have to try it myself soon.

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  21. what a wonderful cause you were able go and help!

    Love this dish, the combo of red peppers and goat cheese sounds so wonderful to me... may have to try it myself soon.

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  22. This looks so yum...would love to try this type of pasta.

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  23. I love the depth that roasted red peppers give to pasta sauce. It pairs so well with the tanginess of goat cheese.

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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