Easy Pasta with Bell-Pepper and Tomatoes

Anu's Note:

This is the best way to enjoy a pasta dish with the fresh flavour of a tomato-based sauce... by making it on your own!

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 3 ounces pasta (Conchiglie Rigate or similar conch-shaped pasta works best)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2-1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• salt
• cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of 1 1/2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan on a medium flame, add the onions and saute until soft and translucent.
3. Now add the diced tomatoes and bell-pepper strips, salt, basil, oregano and saute for about 5 minutes until the bell-peppers soften a bit.
4. If you like it crispier, saute only for a couple of minutes.
5. Remove from heat, toss well with cooked pasta and serve hot with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese!

Reviews

[Mirj]

I really enjoyed this recipe. I upped the proportions of the ingredients to accomodate a 500 gram bag of pasta. I also used fresh oregano and fresh basil, tossed that right into the stir-fry. The scent was heavenly! I didn't use any cheese, I wanted to savor the vegetables' flavor. Thanks a bunch Anu, this is going to become a regular addition to our family meals.

[Novice Cooking Boy]

I made this for me and my partner tonight and it was quite nice! I did half green pepper and half red because I was low on green and had just gotten a new red one. Like another reviewer, I used parmesan instead of cheddar (with a few sprinkles of mozzarella) and a few hits of crushed red pepper flakes, which did add a nice kick, though I might tone it down with the red flakes next time. It was a little spicy for my taste, but my boyfriend likes spice more than me! This was definitely pretty good, fast, and relatively healthy (depending on how much oil and cheese you wind up using)!

[Starrynews]

Thank you for a wonderful recipe! As a personal preference, I used 1/2 green bell pepper, diced, and added some minced garlic with the onion. I also used a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese as opposed to the cheddar. It was quick and easy to put together, and so healthy!