Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Pureeing the roasted peppers into a sauce is an easy way to add a generous vegetable serving to a meal. To make this a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup pasta and 2 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients

• 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

Preparation

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 cheese.

Wine note: A simple pasta dish doesn't need a superpricey wine. Instead, I like to take a tip from Italian trattorias and serve a simple, bracingly fresh white like pinot grigio. It's the ultimate no-frills, no-fuss wine, and its light citrus/almond/hay notes are great with goat cheese. Try Lagaria 2004 pinot grigio from Delle Venezie, Italy ($9). -Karen MacNeil

Nutritional Information

Calories:

342 (26% from fat)

Fat:

9.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 5.1g,poly 1.2g)

Protein:

12.1g

Carbohydrate:

53.4g

Fiber:

4.6g

Cholesterol:

7mg

Iron:

2.8mg

Sodium:

549mg

Calcium:

48mg