Pasta with Roasted Bell Pepper and Carrot Sauce
 
 
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and cut into 6 strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and cut into 6 strips
  • 3 red carrots, peeled and cut into 1½"-thick rounds (see notes)
  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ⅓ cup half-and-half
  • pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 ounces Banza shells or other short pasta
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the bell peppers on one side of a baking sheet and the carrots and garlic on the other side. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Arrange vegetables in a single layer, bell peppers skin side up, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir carrots and bake for 15 minutes. Remove carrots from the oven and broil the bell peppers until skins are charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer bell peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until cool enough to handle; then rub off skins.
  2. Transfer roasted bell peppers and carrots to a food processor. Squeeze out roasted garlic and add to the food processor; purée until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large fry pan.
  3. Add half-and-half and chili flakes, if using, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook shells until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  5. Add cooked pasta to pan with sauce and toss gently to combine. If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
You can substitute orange carrots if it's more convenient.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/pasta-roasted-bell-pepper-carrot-sauce/