Penne with Roasted Peppers and Sweet Vermouth

I started yesterday with my quest to be more effective at home and decided to make a nice romantic meal for my husband. I made Penne with Roasted Peppers and Sweet Vermouth from a recipe in my pasta cookbook from Williams-Sonoma.

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It was SO good, so I'll share the recipe with you. I love pasta with every ounce of my being, which is not good for a person with lupus, but {ehh} oh well... I just can't help myself. I also made a nice side salad, but I don't think anyone needs a recipe to make that.

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers: preferably a mixture of red, yellow, orange
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 8 green onions, including tender green parts, thinly sliced
• Freshly grated nutmeg (I used nutmeg from a spice jar. Shh, don't tell!)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup sweet red vermouth
• 1 lb. penne
• 1/4 lb feta cheese or ricotta salata, grated or finely crumbled
• 12 fresh basil leaves, cut into narrow strips, plus sprigs for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat the broiler (grill). Place the peppers on a broiler pan and broil, turning them often, until charred on all sides. Slip the peppers into a paper bag and let them steam for a few minutes, then peel off the blackened skin (Do not rinse the peppers, or you will wash away flavor; a few black specks are acceptable.) Remove the stems and seeds, and cut the peppers into long, narrow strips. Place the strips in a small bowl to save their juices.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the 3 tbs olive oil. Add the green onions and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper strips, pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, and saute until the peppers are tender and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook to reduce it by half, about 2 minutes.

• Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes. Drain reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water. Add the pasta to the frying pan and saute briefly over low heat to blend the flavors, adding a few tablespoons of cooking water to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a warmed large, shallow bowl. Add 2 heaping tbs of the cheese, basil strips, and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning (you may not need extra salt due to the saltiness of the cheese). Garnish with basil sprigs. Serve hot or room temperature, passing the remaining cheese at the table.

Luckily dinner was timed well and was ready just as it was time to put C.orben to bed. I put a candle on the table and used our nice cloth napkins. Upon seeing the dinner my husband's words really touched my heart. He said "You're amazing!". Aww :). He even did the kitchen cleanup after we ate with no prompting from me. I consider this dinner a winner on all accounts.

When I make this again I think I'll do a little less bell pepper as it was a tiny bit too much for me. I also added a little bit of balsamic vinegar to my plate because I'm a vinegar addict and put it in everything that I can. I always do rice vinegar in my spaghetti. Yum! My mouth is watering now.