Painter's Pasta

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup sun-dried tomato, dry packed (1 small pkg)
• 1 (4 -6 ounce) jar roasted red peppers or 1 (4 -6 ounce) jar pimientos, drained and sliced into strips
• 1 (4 1/2 ounce) jar garlic, minced (about 1/2-2/3 cup)
• 1 bunch green onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 -6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 -2 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste
• 2 -3 tablespoons romano cheese or 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated, to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) box capellini, cooked and drained or 1 (8 ounce) box angel hair pasta, cooked and drained, reserving some of the cooking water
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• red pepper flakes, to taste

Recipe

• 1 blanch sun-dried tomatoes by dropping them into a small pot of boiling water; immediately remove pot from heat and allow to soak until soft, about 10 minutes; drain and set aside to cool.
• 2 heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
• 3 drizzle in a little olive oil, enough to coat bottom of pan plus a little extra.
• 4 add minced garlic and most of the chopped green onions (reserve some onions for garnish later); sauté until lightly browned.
• 5 slice the cooled tomatoes into strips, add to skillet along with the roasted red pepper strips.
• 6 squeeze the lemon juice into the pan to add moisture and continue to sauté.
• 7 sprinkle in a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and about 1 tbsp or some of cheese (grate a layer of cheese "snow" over the surface).
• 8 sauté until peppers are heated through, sampling sauce and reseasoning to your tastes, adding as much garlic powder, cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as you prefer.
• 9 remove pepper mixture from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside in a covered bowl, leaving any remaining oil in the pan.
• 10 add about 3 more tbsp olive oil and heat for about 1 minute, and then add the drained pasta and toss in the oil to coat.
• 11 squirt a bit more lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and grate more cheese over the pasta, toss.
• 12 add some of the pepper mixture to the pasta (maybe 1/2 cup or so) and toss to coat to the pasta, tossing to coat well.
• 13 add a ladleful or so of reserved pasta cooking water and toss to coat--it should not be very dry, but it should not be very wet either.
• 14 portion out some pasta onto serving plates and top with a scoop of the pepper mixture.
• 15 garnish with reserved green onions, a grating of cheese, fresh parsley.