If you want a light, refreshing pasta dish, this is for you! The roasted bell peppers add such a unique flavor, and the red wine vinegar adds a nice tangy twist that brightens up the pasta. Also, if you are in a time crunch, you can always just use jarred roasted red bell pepper instead of roasting your own (but I personally like the color variety I can incorporate by roasting the peppers myself).
INGREDIENTS
-1/2 red bell pepper
-1/2 orange bell pepper
-1/2 yellow bell pepper
-1 serving whole grain rotini pasta
-4-5 small mozzarella balls (or a tablespoon of feta)
-4-5 fresh basil leaves
-1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/8 cup red wine vinegar
-***1 salmon steak (would also be great with shrimp!)
DIRECTIONS
1. Line a sheet pan with foil. Leave the bell pepper halves whole, but press them down so they lay flat on the sheet pan, skin-side up. Broil the peppers in the oven until the skins of the peppers are completely black (about 10 minutes).
2. Once blackened, remove the sheet pan from the oven, and add the peppers to a ziplock baggie to steam for about 5 minutes.
3. While the peppers steam, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
4. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook salmon in the small skillet about 3-5 minutes per side (depending on the size of the salmon).
5. Begin to peel the skins off of the roasted bell peppers about 5 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking, then slice the bell peppers into strips. Also, chop the basil leaves, and cut the mozzarella balls into fourths.
6. Add the following to a mixing bowl: cooked pasta, strips of roasted bell pepper, mozzarella balls, chopped basil, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a few pinches of salt. Toss together, then plate and serve the cooked salmon on the side.
***MM Option: To make this meal meatless, simply leave off the salmon.