Cooking Adventures - Linguine with Zucchini and Roasted Red Peppers

One of the benefits of my job is that we publish a lot of cookbooks. Today I decided to try a recipe from a cookbook that we will release in a few months. Because of what I had on hand—and because of what I forgot to buy at the store!—I made a few variations here and there, but for the most part it turned out great.

First of all, the recipe calls for roasting red peppers. I've never roasted peppers before, so this was completely new to me. I've also never really used the broiler in my big oven before—I've only used the broiler in my little toaster oven—so that was new to me, too. I cut two red bell peppers in half, took out the seeds and ribs, then put them skin up under the broiler. After about 20 minutes they got all black like they were supposed to, and I put them in a bowl and covered the bowl with plastic wrap to let them cool. While the peppers were cooling, I started to work on the rest of the dish. I sauteed some garlic and shallots in olive oil. The recipe called for sauteing in vegetable broth, which I've never heard of before, and because I didn't have veggie broth on hand I just sauteed the garlic and shallots in oil. Then I added the zucchini and crushed red pepper and sauteed that for a while. Then I added some white wine and the (chopped) red peppers. The original recipe calls for adding just a little bit of salt, pepper, and thyme, but I also added some basil and oregano. Then I tossed it with some linguine and voila! I had a very nice, refreshing meal.

Because there wasn't a traditional, thick sauce for this pasta, it was really light, so I think it will make a great summer pasta. The flavor was pretty subtle and, quite frankly, most of the flavor came from the red peppers, which got really sweet after the roasting. I think that when I make it the next time, I might add a little more crushed pepper to give it some more spice and heat. And, if I'm not keeping it a strictly vegetarian dish, I might add a little bit of chicken stock to see if it adds another level of flavor. But, even as is, it was very good, if I may say so myself.

Current mood: full
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Melissa Etheridge "Meet Me In the Dark"
Current drink: Bella Sera pinot grigio (the leftovers of a miniature bottle of inexpensive white wine that I used for cooking), but I'll probably have some red wine before the night is over.