Spinach Fettucine with Bell Peppers and Pesto
I met my friend Sue on the first day of kindergarten. And while we don’t see each other very often, I love knowing we’ve been friends almost all of our lives. Years ago, when we were first “grown ups.” Sue had some of the girls over for dinner. She made this delicious pasta for us. It was simple yet so flavorful. She doesn’t know it but we’ve been making a version of it ever since. In fact, in my old recipe box it’s titled “Sue’s Pasta”
This is a vegetarian pasta, only using bell peppers and tomatoes, but a protein could be easily added.
This is a pretty fast and easy pasta to make. Start with the chopping and then it comes together pretty quickly.
Slice the Bell Peppers
Cut the bell peppers into strips. Use any combination of 3 bell peppers. On this night we used yellow, green and orange. Red works really well too.
Prep the skillet with olive oil. Heat until shimmering.
Sauté the Onions and Bell Peppers
They should be soft, cooked in just a few minutes. Once they are soft, add the garlic. Don’t be shy with the garlic, it blends in really well with this dish.
Add the Tomatoes
For ease, purchase pre-diced tomatoes. We like “fire roasted” or even “Italian style” canned tomatoes to add a bit more flavor without adding more spices.
While the bell pepper mixture is finishing up, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. We bought fresh spinach fettucine on this night and loved the fresh flavor it added. Plus, it only cooks in minutes.
Once the fettucine is cooked, drain and place in a serving bowl. Add the pesto. For 9 oz of pasta, this dish calls for a 1/2 cup. If you like a saucier dish, add more pesto to taste. Remember, with pesto flavor, a little goes a long way!
Pour the bell pepper mixture, right over the pesto tossed pasta.
Top with a bit of fresh parmesan and it’s ready to serve! It’s a pretty and flavorful pasta that pulls together very quickly. Serve with a salad, and that’s dinner. But, grilled chicken sliced over the top, would be a nice protein addition to this pasta.
Spinach Fettucine with Bell Peppers and Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 Bell Peppers cut into strips (use variety of colors green, yellow, orange or red)
- 1/2 Onion, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup Pesto
- 9 oz. Spinach fettucine (fresh works really well)
- Grated fresh parmesan
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté until slightly soft about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 7 minutes.
- While the bell peppers and tomatoes are simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
- In a pasta bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the pesto.
- Top with the bell peppers and tomatoes. Grate fresh parmesan on the top.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
