Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pasta

Hello everyone! Christmas is just few days away and the market place looks so festive and merrier. Especially the bakery shops. I tried some mini cakes but the homemade cakes 🍰 have no equals. Christmas joy inevitably indulges you into sweets, bakes, cakes or heavy meals. So a light, yet fullfilling meal is  a wise choice.

This pasta recipe has an amazing taste of roasted red bell pepper that gives this pasta recipe a smokey flavoured sauce, instead of regular tomato based sauce or cream sauce, that we usually make. Adding cream is totally optional, or you can use coconut cream (or milk) instead. You can also make the bell pepper sauce ahead and store in refrigerator for upto 2 days or in freezer for upto a week. So try this pasta recipe and cook the natural way!

You need

4 cups pasta (uncooked)

2 cups spinach leaves (chopped)

5 medium sized red bell pepper (1 more red bell pepper chopped)

2-3 tomatoes

2 onions (finely choppe)

100g mushrooms (sliced)

4-5 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

8-10 cashew nuts

Handful of coriander leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning

2-3 tablespoon cream or coconut cream (optional)

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1/2 red chilli powder or flakes

2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste

Method

1. Lightly oil the bell peppers and tomatoes. Roast them in oven or grill or directly on stove. Roast till they are charred. (if using oven, put them under broil setting to save time).Also soak cashew nuts in warm water.

2. When roasted, remove the charred skin of bell peppers and tomatoes. And roughly chop them.

3. In a blender, blend together bell peppers, tomatoes,cashew nuts and coriander leaves and puree them well. Keep aside.

4. Now boil water in a large vessel, add  salt and pasta. Cook pasta till done. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

5. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan , saute garlic and onion till pink and translucent. Add mushrooms, chopped red bell pepper and spinach and cook for 3-5 minutes.

6. Pour in the prepared bell pepper puree and coriander powder. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

7.Lastly add pasta, cream, oregano, red chilli powder (or flakes), salt and pepper. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Serves 5-6