Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked gluten-free seashell pasta (such as Tinkyada)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• Thinly sliced fresh basil (optional)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
2. 2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
3. 3. Place bell pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Return bell pepper mixture to pan; cook over low heat until warm. Combine half-and-half and tomato paste in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir tomato mixture into bell pepper mixture, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Stir in ground red pepper.
4. 4. Combine pasta and bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup cheese, tossing to coat. Spoon 1 1/3 cups pasta into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired.