PASTA WITH MICROWAVED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Dated: 14/7/14 ( 14 July 2014) 14-7-14

Inspiration:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/fusilli-bucati-lunghi-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-red-peppers-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Cooking Time: 30 mins. max
Serves 2 with my appetite although with garlic bread you could stretch to 3!
Ingredients:
a Red Pepper (to be roasted, seasoned chilled and then diced)
[This is my alternative to jarred roasted peppers]
1 carrot (diced/chopped)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cups (I used tea cups) shell pasta
2 cloves of garlic
4 table spoons of milk
4 teaspoons of any oil [Most Mediterranean dishes specify Olive Oil but I dont have it or want it]
3 medium sized teacups of water. (Double the pasta)
7g/1 pizza condiment packet of oregano
Pinches of rock salt and sugar
Dash of pepper
1 cardamom, 1 clove stick, 1 anise flower
A small bunch of mint leaves (fist-full )
1 teaspoon vinegar
a lime
2 teaspoons/curls of pepper flavoured cheese spread
A very little curl of butter
1. I microwaved the red bell pepper Microgrill 3 mins, then 30 seconds in autosetting Baked
Potato (Outer skin wrinkles slightly).
2. Allow pepper to cool & prepare the seasoning.
3. Seasoning: Mix a pinch of rock salt, 3-4g of oregano flakes, quarter of limes juice, 1
teaspoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon/2 teaspoons of oil.
4. Quarter the cooled (you can also refrigerate) microwaved red pepper. Add seasoning and
leave in the fridge.
5. Cook the shell pasta in boiling salted water (water is double the pasta) with a drop of oil and
the spices (anise flower & crush with one jab with the pestle : 1 cardamom, 1 clove stick)
this is the only cooking of the pasta you will do so you dont need to stop @ al-dente!
6. Dice the onion, mint, and carrots as you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook with
an occasional stir.
7. Drain the pasta and preserve the water for further cooking.
8. Add a quarter limes juice and a few diced/torn mint leaves to the hot water and dump the
carrot once youve diced it to the hot water and leave covered.
9. By now your seasoned red bell pepper would have chilled for about fifteen minutes.
10. Dice two quarters (half) of the bell pepper.
11. Smash two cloves of garlic with a pinch of rock salt and a pinch of sugar in the mortar and
mix in the rest of the oil (1 tablespoon/2 teaspoons of oil) and give it a nice grind (MY
substitute for garlic infused olive oil).
12. Transfer the oil and garlic mixture into a kadai (skillet/pad), add the diced red pepper and
onion and mint using a spoon with holes transfer the carrots with minimum water. Drain the
liquid bit of the pepper seasoning into the pan.
13. Cook in medium flame for 3 mins, till the onions turn golden brown then add the curl of
butter.
14. Add water used to cook the pasta cover the kadai and allow it to cook for 10-15 mins
15. Remove the anise flower (you could do this before adding the water to the veggies as well)
16. Bled the veggies to a puree/sauce in the bender (1-2 mins) with one curl of pepper cheese
spread with the milk.
Mix the pasta and sauce, garnish with a curl of pepper cheese spread and few torn mint
leaves.
Goes down good with garlic bread and lime mint cooler made with the rest of the lime (1/2)
and a few mint leaves! Britannia Pure Magic biscuits great dessert for this meal! (And you
still have two quarters of the seasoned red pepper for another day the longer it seasons
the better as its a substitute for a jarred ingredient.)
BON APPETITE