Vegetarian Recipes

Roasted Red Peppers

https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-red-peppers/

Last week, I finished up this fajita recipe, and I still had an abundance of bell peppers in the fridge. I debated what to do with them – Toss them into salad? Sauté them for my breakfast tacos? – but in the end, I settled on making roasted red peppers to have on hand for summer sauces, pizzas, pastas, and more.

If you’ve never made roasted red peppers, it’s super easy, and when they’re finished, the peppers have a lightly sweet, charred flavor that’s a delicious addition to all sorts of recipes. They keep for several weeks in the fridge, so make a big batch to blend in to your next dressing, top onto a sandwich, or serve as a simple appetizer with summer herbs, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

How to Roast Red Peppers

There are a few ways to make roasted red peppers at home. My preferred method for roasting is over a gas burner. I’ll either use a grill pan or char them directly over the gas flame. Of course, you can also roast the peppers in the oven. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Char the peppers whole over a gas burner, on a grill pan, or under a broiler until the skin is blackened all over.

2. Then, take them off the heat and place them in bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and allow the peppers to steam and soften for 10 minutes.

3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and remove the loose skin. I like to leave just a bit of the blackened skin for a nice charred flavor.

4. Finally, slice off the stem and remove the membranes and seeds. At this point, you can leave the peppers whole or slice them into strips, depending on how you plan to use them.

And that’s it! Roasted red pepper success.

How to Store Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted red peppers are ready to use as soon as you’ve peeled off the skins and removed their seeds. If you’re roasting one as part of a larger recipe, you can proceed with it right away.

If you’re preparing a larger batch to keep on hand, allow them to cool completely before transferring them to the fridge. To keep them fresh, store the peppers in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and pour olive oil over the peppers to cover. Be sure to keep them submerged in the oil for maximum freshness! Stored this way, they should last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

Alternatively, freeze your roasted red peppers for longer storage. Spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze individually before transferring them to an airtight, freezer-safe container.

What to Do With Roasted Red Peppers

Once you’ve roasted your peppers, you have endless options for using them. Here are just a few ideas:

What do you like to do with roasted red peppers? Let me know in the comments!

If you love these roasted red peppers…

Try roasted cauliflower, roasted beets, or roasted asparagus next!

Roasted Red Peppers

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Condiment

Red bell peppers
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Char the peppers over a gas burner or under a broiler until the skin is blackened all over.
Remove them from the heat, place in a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
Uncover and use your hands to peel and remove the loose skin.
Slice off the stem, and remove the seeds; use the pepper whole or slice it into strips. Season to taste with sea salt.
To store the peppers, transfer them to a jar, cover them with olive oil, and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

3.4.3177

Vegetarian Recipes

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Here’s a quickie recipe for those nights when you just need something fast and delicious. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is super fast, light, and fresh, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner during the summer. The bright lemon flavor perfectly compliments the light and creamy ricotta, and the little pops of sweetness from the peas make every bite a little more interesting. Simple, fresh, and easy.

Originally posted 3-4-2011, updated 6-8-2022.

Do I Have to Use Fresh Lemon?

This is one of those recipes where you really do want to use a fresh lemon instead of bottled juice. The zest from the lemon adds a ton of bright, summery lemon flavor to the pasta without making the sauce too sour. We add just a little of the juice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta, but the zest is where you’re getting all that gorgeous sunny lemon flavor!

Not All Ricotta is Created Equal

I find there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of ricotta from brand to brand. Some are smooth, mild, and sweet like fresh milk, while others are bland and grainy. My preferred brand is Galbani, but they didn’t have any at the store when I went, so I got the generic Kroger brand. It was definitely a bit grainy, but the pasta was still quite delicious despite that!

Also, make sure to get whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just doesn’t hit the same in this recipe.

What Else Can I Add?

This simple pasta is a great jumping-off point for making a more elaborate pasta, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Try adding some sliced chicken breast, fresh basil, or fresh spinach. Garlic butter shrimp would also go great with this pasta!

What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta

This pasta is so light and fresh that I suggest keeping any side dishes really simple, light, and fresh as well. I would go with a super simple side salad, or maybe some roasted asparagus and tomatoes.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta is light, fresh, and quick to prepare, making it the perfect pasta for weeknight dinners in the summer.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.27 recipe / $1.07 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 400kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 lemon $0.89
8 oz. pasta* $0.67
1 cup frozen peas $0.50
1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
1 Tbsp butter $0.11
1 cup whole milk ricotta $1.60
1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.02
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste) $0.02
1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste) $0.02

Instructions

Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water from the pot.
Place the frozen peas in the colander before draining the pasta so the pasta will thaw the peas as it drains.
Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the drained pasta and peas, and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined, the residual heat from the skillet and pasta have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has formed a creamy sauce. Add more of the warm reserved pasta water if needed.
Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

*Use any short shape pasta.

Nutrition

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta – Step By Step Photos

Zest and juice one lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.

Cook 8oz. pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Add 1 cup of frozen peas to a colander, then pour the boiled pasta over top to thaw the peas as you drain the pasta.

Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

Add the still-hot pasta and peas to the skillet along with about ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.

Add 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp lemon zest to the pasta. Stir until the ingredients are combined, the residual heat from the pasta and skillet have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has turned into a creamy sauce.