Roasted Peppers and Pasta

COOK TIME: 20 Min

Maybe we can't have summertime peppers all year at summertime prices, but we can have them at an affordable price if we buy them canned or jarred. Of course, they're not crunchy like fresh peppers, but they have a lot of good points and we can use them a lot of tasty ways. For instance, this is as homestyle-Italian as we could ever get.

What You'll Need

1/2 pound linguine or spaghetti
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 (7-ounce) jars roasted peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper

What to Do

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until tender.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil; saute garlic just until soft. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, until mixture is warmed through and well blended.
Serve over pasta.
Makes 4 to 5 appetizer of 3 main-dish servings.

Notes

Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. For a different flavor, try adding a little cream or cooked sausage or anchovies or ricotta cheese, whatever you like!