Friday Finds: Spaghetti with Red and Yellow Peppers

I love a good four day week-- especially when the weather is warm and it stays light out for so much later. It just feels like summer. The fact that we've been grilling out for dinner almost every evening helps too!

Recently, we grilled tuna steaks for dinner. This is one of my favorite summer dinners because tuna is a flavorful and filling entree, but not something so heavy that it leaves me dragging after I eat it. In an effort to find a side dish that as equally satisfying and light, I found a great pasta recipe in Everyday Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis. The sweet peppers, fresh parsley, and light brothy sauce make this a perfect summer side dish. The recipe calls for spaghetti, but we used the citrus angel hair that we bought at Oh Olive!, which added a nice sweetness to the dish and complimented the tangy tuna marinade well. If you like a little more kick, add a few red pepper flakes to this pasta like my husband did.

Ingredients:

• 3 large red bell peppers
• 3 large yellow bell peppers
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb. spaghetti *I used a specialty citrus angel hair
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bell peppers on the baking sheet and broil until the skins brown and blister, turning the peppers occasionally, about 20 minutes. Enclose the peppers in a resealable plastic bag and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Peel and seed the cooled peppers and cut them into strips.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper strips, salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add the wine and chicken broth and continue cooking over low heat for 20 minutes, or until the peppers are very soft.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the pasta, parsley and Parmesan cheese to the pepper sauce; stir to combine and coat the pasta. Serve.