Tom and I are starting our Jeff Galloway half-marathon training program next week and I am busy reading about foods that will help fuel us without weighing us down. I know pasta is considered a “no-no” in many circles, but whole grain pasta just can’t be beat for giving me long lasting carb energy.
This pasta recipe came about from a Pinterest pin by Lauren’s Latest. The original recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo sounded so good, I couldn’t wait to try it. Fortunately, our peppers here are going crazy this fall, so beautiful sweet red peppers are quite affordable at the farmers markets. I increased the amount of red bell pepper and added some fresh shrimp and some local, organic Shitake mushrooms, but otherwise I stuck pretty close to the original recipe.
The result was a light and delicious pasta that had a fresh taste, but also had the rich taste of the goat cheese. We used some basil-black pepper local goat cheese from the Hillsborough Cheese Company, and it was super with the red peppers.
Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta (makes four servings)
- 1/2 lb. spaghetti pasta
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup fat free half and half
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
- 6-8 fresh, Shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Heat a gas grill to high.
- While grill is heating, toss the whole bell peppers with the tablespoon of olive oil. Using tongs, put the peppers on the hot grill. Cover and let cook for about 8 minutes, turning peppers every 3-4 minutes. Peppers are done when the skin is charred all over.
- Put the hot peppers in a large bowl and cover the bowl with a lid or a plate. Let steam for about 15 minutes.
- Put a stock pot of water on to boil (for pasta).
- While peppers are cooling, heat the grapeseed oil in a deep skillet. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft.
- While onions are cooking, remove the charred skins, stems and seeds from the roasted peppers. Chop the peppers and add them to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring well.
- Add the cup of half and half, asiago and the goat cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes or so.
- Pour the mixture into a blender or CAREFULLY use an immersion blender to puree the pepper/goat cheese mixture (NOTE: my pan was too shallow, making a splattery mess once I cranked up the immersion blender. I ended up pouring the mixture into a large, deep bowl, pureeing it, and returning it to the pan.)
- Cook the pasta according to directions.
- While pasta cooks, add the shrimp and mushrooms to the blended sauce, and cook until shrimp are pink and opaque–about 6 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and add pasta to the pan with the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta well.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley or more cheese.