Shamrocks and Shenanigans: Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta with Chicken

Sometimes I feel like eating a dish that I think I would get at a restaurant, but wouldn't order at a restaurant. That's the line of BS I give my family when I spring a new dish on them that they have never eaten and would never have eaten. Seems reasonable? Right? In all actuality, I had a bag of bell peppers and thought "Self what the hell am I going to make?" I could have made Sausage and Peppers but I have a BAG of peppers and I think I still have a couple of peppers in the crisper. I don't know how this happened??? Roasting peppers and then pureeing them into a sauce will use up all the peppers in the bag. Score!!!! Uno problemo...The Ballplayer will not like it. Guess cereal will be his dinner. Oh well, cant win them all!

Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta with Chicken

Bag of bell peppers (5-6)
1/2 package pine nuts (yes really that's my measurement)
1/2 cup minced onion
1 TB Balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Chicken Breasts pounded thin and cut into small portions
1 cup of flour for dusting
salt and pepper
oil for sauteing
pasta

Like I said, you need a lot of bell peppers for this sauce. If you have ever made homemade spaghetti sauce, you know, it takes a lot of tomatoes just to get a quart of sauce.

Cut up all the peppers and discard all the seeds

place skin side up on a baking/cookie sheet and put under the broiler until they are BLACK.

Place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Walk away for fifteen minutes. Seriously. This is the time to let the dog out, pay your bills. Get side tracked. Come back and peel all the black skin off. The Fireman helped me. It's a messy job. That's why you have no pictures of it. Do not wash any of the black specks off the peppers. That is flavor that you want. Toss the skins and save the peppers.

I love Pine nuts. This is not normally how I buy them. Normally I buy them in bulk from Costco, keep them in the freezer but whatever. I am out and avoiding Costco. Costco is next to Trader Joes. Trader Joes has Pub Cheese. Pub Cheese makes my ass big. I'm off track anyways. I love these little nuts. Put them on vegetables, in pasta. Mmmmm

Take half a package or about 1/4 cup or the package if you can't resist. It wont harm the recipe and put into any dry pan you haven't messed up today. Put the pan on medium heat and toast the pine nuts. Don't burn them. These nuts are special to me.

Put your peppers into a food processor or blender. Blend well, really well. If it seems like it wont go smooth enough, add a couple TB of chicken broth or water. I didn't have to.

Arent these pretty?

Add them to the party!

In a pan add 1 tsp oil, the garlic and the onion, cook till soft

Now add the sauce to the onions and garlic, and 1 TB balsamic vinegar

let simmer 25-30 minutes

My chicken did not come already pounded into small portions so I am pounding them. Simply put the chicken between to pieces of plastic wrap, place on a plastic cutting board (easier to disinfect) and take a meat cleaver or in my case a cast iron pan, and pound the crap out of it until it is thin. If you have teenagers, it is anger management.