Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo with Sausage

I love pasta. I can’t say that enough. But the same old same old can get old quick so I really enjoy finding new ways to enjoy pasta. This recipe gives your basic mild and creamy alfredo a little bite. And while you can always buy roasted red peppers and alfredo individually at your local grocery – we’re going to do this from scratch and you will love the difference. And when you figure in that to roast red peppers yourself takes about 15 minutes and costs a little over a buck, you’ll agree that it is just cheaper and better to do it yourself. The alfredo sauce is not very complicated either, the important key is just to not bring it to boil. As for the sausage, you can use sweet, mild, hot – or even just ground beef with extra seasonings. The possibilities are as endless as the types of pasta you can serve this over. For this recipe, we will be serving it over a rigato penne.

Ingredients
1 – 2 medium to large red bell peppers

1/2 cup butter, salted

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cup dried parmesan cheese, grated*


 * If using canned sprinkles, make sure it is really parmesan and not powdered alternative

Preparation
Preheat oven to broiler setting, 500 degrees F. Wash the peppers under running water. Lay peppers on a glass baking dish and cook for fifteen minutes or until blackened. Place peppers into a container or pot with a lid and allow to cool for ten minutes. Using your fingers, gently rub the blackened skin from the peppers and discard. Cut peppers in quarters, removing inner seeds. Slice into thin strips. In a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat, blend all ingredients, including pepper strips. Stir continuously, but do not bring to a boil. Once popping begins, remove from heat. Add in sliced sausage or ground meat and serve over pasta.