Pasta with Yellow Pepper Sauce

By harvard88

Ingredients

• 1/2cup1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3cups3 cups diced sweet onion, such as Vidalia
• 22 leeks, white part only cleaned of all sand and diced (about one cup)
• 44 extra-large yellow bell peppers, cleaned of all seeds and pulp sliced very thin (about 1 1/2 pounds after cleaning)
• 1teaspoon1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2tablespoons2 tablespoons fresh thyme or half that of dried
• 1pound1 pound Cellentani-shaped pasta, or any pasta that holds sauce well such as Fusilli
• 2cups2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to sprinkle over the finished dish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from afamilyfeast.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

In a large sauté pan or skillet with high sides, heat oil over medium to medium high heat and add onions and leeks. Cook stirring occasionally for eight minutes adjusting heat so that leeks don’t brown. Add peppers, salt, pepper and thyme and stir. Lower heat and cook covered for five minutes. Add ¼ cup of water and cook covered for five more minutes. Add another ¼ cup of water and cook covered for another five minutes. If peppers are soft, remove from heat or cook for five more minutes if needed until peppers are fully cooked.

Using a blender or an immersion blender, puree mixture until very smooth. If too thick, add a little water. Pour back into pan and hold for next step.

Cook pasta according to package directions until slightly less than done. (Reserve pasta water, do not drain).

Place pasta in with sauce and cook over medium heat adding small ladles of pasta water until pasta is fully cooked and sauce is the proper constancy. Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese.

Serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese over each portion.