Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce

At the grocery store, I came across a bottle of roasted red pepper Italian dressing and thought it looked interesting. Unfortunately, it's a bit too strong to eat on lettuce, so I was left to figure out what I could make with it. A pasta sauce came to mind. It was delicious, if I do say so myself. The red pepper flavor came through clearly and complimented the marinara sauce beautifully.


Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce
Serves 4
Cook & Prep Time - about 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 jar marinara sauce
1/4 cup roasted red pepper Italian dressing
3ish oz cream cheese
1 lb pasta (I used farfalle)

DIRECTIONS
Cook the onions and garlic in the oil for a few minutes over medium heat, until the onions begin to soften and get translucent.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Add the marinara sauce and red pepper dressing. Stir to combine. Add the cream cheese and let it melt for a few minutes. Once the cream cheese is soft, stir to combine until the cream cheese is mixed through.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

2 comments:

Kristin (Book Sniffers Anonymous) said...

I would have never thought of turning salad dressing into a pasta sauce. This looks really good.

Joanne said...

I love experimenting like that, using things in new and interesting ways. Sounds delicious!