Salted Caramel Recipe

Salted Caramel is great sauce for so many things!  

My favorite is popcorn or ice cream :)

This recipe for Salted Caramel is courtesy of Carla Hall, The Chew.

ingredients

• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. As soon as the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring.

As soon as the sugar crystals have melted (and the sugar is dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted, then remove from heat.

Slowly add the sour cream and continue to whisk to incorporate. Add the salt. Whisk until the caramel is smooth. Let cool in pan for a couple of minutes before pouring it into a mason jar. Let cool to room temperature. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

Do you really think it would last 2 weeks?

Perfect Pie Crust

Doesn't everyone need a great pie crust recipe?

This recipe is courtesy of Carla Hall, The Chew!

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Table Salt
• 1/3 cup Water
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold Unsalted Butter (cut into 1/2-inch dice)
• 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour (plus more for rolling)

directions

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water. Refrigerate until very cold, about 30 minutes. During that time, refrigerate your butter, flour, mixer bowl, and paddle, too.

Make sure your butter is cut into 1/2-inch dice. Bigger pieces will make your dough puffy. In the chilled bowl, combine the cold butter and flour. With your hands, toss the butter in the flour until each cube is lightly coated.

With the chilled paddle, beat the flour-butter mixture on low speed to just break up the butter, about 30 seconds. Add the water mixture all at once and raise the speed to medium-low. Beat just until the dough comes together in big chunks, then immediately turn off the mixer.

Divide the chunks of dough in half and very gently pat each group into a round 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, before rolling. You can refrigerate the disks for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months.



Helpful Tips:

1. Make sure that all the ingredients are cold.

2. Mix with your fingertips, not your palms. Fingertips are cool, while your palms are hot.

3. When mixing the flour and butter, pick up some of the flour and butter, squeeze it, and drop it.

4. Make discs with the dough -- rather than a ball -- so that it is easier to flatten.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

How can you go wrong with a shrimp meal from Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian?

The Kitchen is becoming one of my favorite shows on the Food Network and I try not to miss it on Saturday mornings.  It is repeated during the week . . . refer to the schedule from the website and check out this show!

I have directed the link to the show page this recipe was featured on instead of the recipe itself.  It was a great show with too many recipes to leave out, like homemade mayonnaise recipes, churros, various tacos . . . a hot and spicy Cinco de Mayo show!

While I am very adventurous in the kitchen, I am fearful of the flambe.  The last thing I want to do is put my kitchen on fire!  This recipe calls for a step that includes flambe . . . I'm just going to skip it!  Any thoughts on flambe? Please leave a comment!  I'm curious how many home cooks actually do this.

Another thing I would do different . . . of course I would serve this with angel hair pasta!  Yes!  Another shrimp pasta recipe :)

Recipe courtesy of Geoffrey Zakarian
The Food Network
SHOW:  The Kitchen
EPISODE: Cinco de Mayo with Bobby Flay


Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound jumbo or U-12 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced
• 1/4 cup limoncello or sambuca
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 cups crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Garlic Bread, recipe follows

Garlic Bread:

• 1 baguette, split lengthwise
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chile flakes, optional

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with a generous pinch each salt and pepper, and then sear on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. 

Add the chile flakes, garlic and serrano chile. 

Remove from the heat, add the limoncello, and then flambe. (I'm a bit leary of this step!)

Add the white wine and tomatoes and cook the sauce until it reduces by half, about 5 minutes.

Finish with the grated cheese, parsley, basil and oregano. Then swirl in the extra-virgin olive oil and butter, and season with the lemon zest and juice. 

Serve immediately with Garlic Bread.


Garlic Bread:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly toast the baguette cut-side up in the oven, 4 minutes.

Combine the butter, olive oil, garlic, shallots and some salt and pepper in a bowl, and stir to mix. 

Slather the mixture generously on the cut side of the toasted baguette. 

Sprinkle the cheese, parsley and chile flakes if using evenly over one side of the baguette. Top with the other side and wrap in foil. 

Warm in the oven until the cheese is melted. 

Cut into 3-inch slices and serve warm.

Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Creamy Stovetop Bacon Mac and Cheese

As with chicken, you can never have enough recipes for mac and cheese!

I found these recipes watching The Cooking Channel last night.  Love the show Kelsey's Essentials!  OK . . . I'll admit it, I love most of the cooking shows.

This post is actually two recipes in one.  You can either have the mac and cheese alone, or stuffed in the tomato.  Kelsey also served it in a sandwich, like a grilled cheese sandwich . . . I never would have thought of that, but it really did look good.

I love her selection of cheeses and the addition of bacon.  Isn't everything better with bacon?

Recipe courtesy kelsey nixon, the cooking channel

Show: Kelsey's EssentialsEpisode: After Hour Eats

INGREDIENTS

CREAMY STOVETOP BACON MAC AND CHEESE:

• Kosher salt 
• 1 pound elbow macaroni 
• 6 strips thick-cut smoked bacon, cut in 1/4-inch pieces 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 4 cups hot whole milk 
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard, or more as needed 
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (2 cups) 
• 8 ounces Muenster cheese, shredded (2 cups) 
• 1 tbsp hot sauce

BAKED TOMATOES:

• 4 beefsteak tomatoes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup panko
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Olive oil, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

For the mac and cheese: 

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.

Set an extra-large skillet, or a large heavy saucepan, over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until crispy and the fat renders out, 10 to 12 minutes.

Set the bacon aside, reserving the fat to build your sauce.

At this point you should have about 1/4 cup of reserved fat. If needed, add some olive oil or butter to make sure you have a 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.

Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't brown). Continuing to whisk, add 3 cups of the hot milk and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Stir in the dry mustard, and then gradually add the Cheddar and Muenster cheeses, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce. Stir in the hot sauce and the remaining 1 cup milk.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Stir in the crispy bacon and season with salt and pepper.

You'll need 1 to 2 cups of mac and cheese for the tomatoes.

For the baked tomatoes: 

Set your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to broil.

Using a paring knife, remove the tops of your tomatoes (the stem end), and then carefully hollow each one out with a spoon. You want to create a bowl, while removing all the seeds and some of the flesh, leaving about 1/2-inch of flesh in each tomato.

Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Then stuff each one with as much mac and cheese as you can, 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Mix the panko, Parmesan cheese and parsley together, and season with salt and pepper. Pile some of the breadcrumb topping onto each tomato. Each one will accommodate about 2 tablespoons of the topping. Now, drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, so the panko browns up nicely.

Broil the tomatoes until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Spicy Polenta Cakes

Polenta has peaked my curiousity for a very long time, especially since I love grits.

Guy Fieri's recipe seems to be the perfect recipe to start exploring Polenta since I love that it can be used as an appetizer or side dish, it is spicy and cheesy and I love the crispy texture.

I have a feeling I'm going to like them a bit too much!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Guy Fieri

The Food Network
SHOW: Guy's Big Bite
EPISODE: Comfort with a Kick



Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking polenta, medium- or coarse-grain
• 1 cup crumbled queso blanco cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey, for serving
• 1 lime, halved

Directions

Combine the milk, salt and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and slowly whisk in the polenta. 

Cook, whisking constantly, until the polenta tightens and there are no lumps, about 4 minutes. 

Stir in the queso blanco, butter, cilantro, pepper and jalapeno. 

Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Generously butter a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Pour the polenta into the pan and set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, until firm.

Preheat a griddle pan over medium heat. Invert the polenta onto a clean cutting board and slice it into nine 3-inch squares. 

Brush the squares on both sides with the olive oil, then griddle them until golden brown and warmed through, about 3 minutes per side. 

While warm, drizzle the polenta cakes with the honey and squeeze lime juice over the top. Serve.

Oven Baked Breakfast Tacos

There is no time limit in my kitchen for breakfast!  It is my favorite meal and we have it morning, noon or night.

Breakfast Tacos!  I love the concept!  Another great recipe from Pillsbury!

These tacos are great for on-the-go breakfast, microwave leftovers for lunch, dinner or snacks.

Variations I would try . . . sausage instead of bacon, cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack.  Will try the original recipe first!

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 cups cubed (about 1 inch) potatoes
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)
• 8 soft corn tortillas (6 inch)
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz)

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F.

Place bacon slices in ungreased cookie sheet with sides. When oven is preheated, bake bacon 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes. Coarsely chop bacon into small pieces.

While bacon is baking, heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. 

Add potatoes; stir to coat in hot oil. 

Sprinkle taco seasoning mix over potatoes; stir to mix. 

Cook potatoes 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until potatoes are soft when pierced with tip of knife. (My suggestion: microwave cubed potatoes in a steamer container for 3 minutes, return to skillet for crisping)

In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, place tortillas standing against each other to form taco shells.

In another skillet, cook and stir beaten eggs over medium heat until they begin to scramble. Remove from heat.

Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup potatoes. Divide scrambled eggs and bacon evenly into each. Top each with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Bake 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe and photo source:

Notes from Pillsbury

Cube the potatoes a day ahead and store in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.

Adjust the amount of taco seasoning mix to suit your spice level.

Wrap leftovers in foil and reheat in the oven for 10 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta from The Pioneer Woman

Lately I have been checking out The Pioneer Woman's show on The Food Network and spending more time going through the website and her recipes.  She's an amazing cook!

This recipe makes use of my newly developed love of jarred roasted red peppers and offers so much variation to this basic recipe.  I would love this pasta with some meatballs, italian sausage, chicken prepared parmesan style or simply add some fresh mushrooms.

Love the pasta she used in this recipe . . . I've never seen it before!

Another quick, easy and economical meal :)

Ingredients 

• 12 ounces, weight Pasta Of Your Choice (I Prefer Short Ones Like Rigatoni, Penne, Etc.) 
• 4 Tablespoons Butter 
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Finely Diced 
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced 
• 1 jar (15.5 Ounces) Roasted Red Peppers, Drained And Roughly Chopped 
• 1 cup Vegetable Or Chicken Broth 
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste 
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper 
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream (more To taste) 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Shavings (more For serving) 
• Finely Minced Parsley 
• Chopped Fresh Basil (if You Have It!) 

Preparation Instructions


Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender. Place on the lid and puree the pepper mixture until totally blended (there will still be some texture to the peppers.)

Heat the other 2 tablespoon butter back to the skillet over medium heat. Pour the pepper puree back into the skillet. Add the broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until heated. Splash in the cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.

Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley/basil, then stir it together to coat the pasta.

Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley on top.

Recipe and Photo Source: The Pioneer Woman

Go to the original article for more photos

Refried Beans

This episode of The Pioneer Woman was on this morning and I was hoping I would not forget to post this recipe.  Refried Beans is something that I never think about making myself . . . it is so easy to buy them in the cans.  However, making it yourself is much healthier and so much more economical.

The Captain and I buy so much mexican convenience foods like taquitos, chimichangas, burritos that are frozen and so easy to microwave.  Refried beans is an important ingredient in all these items.  They are so easy to make and freeze yourself.  Again, so much more economical.  We are putting forth a huge effort to be more economical with our meal planning and grocery purchasing.

For a delicious variation, I would make a batch that is mixed with black beans that have already been made and seasoned (maybe the leftovers from a meal of black beans and rice with pork).

Recipe and photo courtesy Ree Drummond, The Food Network

SHOW: The Pioneer Woman
EPISODE: Building Pens

Ingredients

• 6 cups dried pinto beans
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch slices (or you can use salt pork, ham hock or diced ham instead)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, plus more if needed
• 1/2 stick butter (bacon grease, lard or shortening will work)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Rinse the beans thoroughly, then place them in a large pot with the bacon. Pour water over the top. Use enough water to cover the beans by 1 or 2 inches.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours. If the liquid seems to evaporate too quickly, add more water during the cooking process. The beans are done when they're fork tender, without much bite.

Add the chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir and taste, adjusting the seasoning as necessary. Add in other seasonings as desired.

Heat the fat in a large skillet and cook the onions until translucent. Add the beans to the skillet and mash them until they're the consistency you want. Stir and cook them until heated, then add the grated cheese. Top with the jalapenos.

Blue Cheese and Chive Dip from Tyler Florence

Tyler Florence always has the best recipes!  I wish they would bring his cooking shows back to the Food Network on a regular basis . . . love his demonstrations.

I never would have thought to make a dip with blue cheese, but why not?  It is my favorite salad dressing and serve it along with one of our favorite chicken dishes, Buffalo Chicken and Roasted Potatoes.  In fact, I may serve this dip the next time I make that chicken.

This dip would make an awesome compliment to spicy hot chips like the Captain likes.  But I still don't buy the sweet potato chips with this dip . . .

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1-1/2 tbsp.honey
• 1 tsp.lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 tbsp.finely chopped chives, or to taste
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Sweet potato chips

DIRECTIONS

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix. Season dip with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sweet potato chips.

This recipe is courtesy of People.com's CelebFood section
Photo Credit: Kana Okada

Kentucky Chocolate and Walnut Pie

Yes, please!!  I want some now :)

It is amazing how easy prepared pie crusts make it possible to create gorgeous and delicious pies.  The recipe is easy, the ingredients readily available . . . the only problem I would have is waiting three hours for it to cool . . .

This awesome recipe and photo is courtesy of Pillsbury.com, one of my favorite recipe websites!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons bourbon, if desired
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup broken walnuts
• 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 Pillsbury® Pet-Ritz® frozen deep dish pie crust (from 12-oz package)
• 1cup sweetened whipped cream, if desired

Directions

Place cookie sheet on oven rack. Heat oven to 375°F. 

In large bowl, beat sugar, corn syrup, butter, bourbon, salt and eggs with whisk or electric mixer until well blended. 

Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. 

Pour into frozen pie crust.

Bake on cookie sheet 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. 

Cool completely, about 3 hours.

Just before serving, top with whipped cream.

Photo and Recipe Source:

Some notes from Pillsbury:

Pecans are also very popular in the South. You can substitute broken pecans for the walnuts in this recipe.

If you don't care for bourbon, omit it and use 1 teaspoon vanilla instead.

Linguine With Shrimp and Artichokes

Yes!  Another Shrimp Pasta recipe!

This recipe, which comes from one of my favorite go to websites for recipes, Real Simple, offers a different perspective to the usual shrimp pasta meals that I've made in the past.  

I have no idea whether or not I like artichokes or not, but I will add them since The Captain likes them and it is great to try new foods.  Who knows?  I always thought I hated broccoli until my first husband introduced me to what is now one of my favorite veggies!

The change I would make is to add large chunks of fresh mushrooms . . . well, I may not like the artichokes!

Vegetarians can obviously omit the shrimp and possibly add some black olives, mushrooms . . . whatever herbs and veggies you like!

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound linguine 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 
• kosher salt and black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (raw) 
• 12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved (1 1/2 cups) 
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. 

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Mix in the parsley and transfer to a plate. Wipe out the skillet. 

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes.

 
Add the artichoke hearts and crushed red pepper to the shrimp and cook, tossing, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Add the shrimp mixture and reserved cooking water to the pasta and cook over medium heat, tossing, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Serve the pasta sprinkled with the bread crumb mixture.

Source

By Dawn Perry , April, 2012

Photo by David Prince

No Bake Coconut Pie

Back in the day when I first got married, one of the first things I did was subscribe to the Taste of Home Annual Recipe Books.  Along with my Betty Crocker Cookbook that I'm sure all cooks have a copy of, many of the meals I make today came from there.  Although I no longer subscribe to them, I often read through the stacks of books just to get ideas for new recipes.  Their website is even better!  Check them out sometime :)  The photo and recipe is courtesy Taste of Home!

Coconut anything is something I love very much.  This recipe seems to have everything we all look for in a recipe . . . delicious, quick and easy!  The best of semi-homemade!  It doesn't even need to be baked!!  

As we work on summer plans for projects around the house, quick and easy meals are what I look for.  While we are busy with other stuff, meals should still be awesome!

Would be a quick dessert to take to a party!

Ingredients

• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2-3/4 cups cold 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
• Toasted coconut

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk the pudding mixes, milk and extract for 2 minutes. 

Fold in whipped topping and coconut.

Pour into the crust. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. 

Chill until serving. 

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Source:  Taste of Home

Originally published as No-Cook Coconut Pie in Taste of Home February/March 1994, p13

Pasta With Roasted Red Peppers and Almonds

Love this fast, delicious and economical pasta meal!  The recipe and photo are courtesy of Real Simple (link after the recipe) . . . one of my favorite websites to find new recipes . . . check it out sometime!

With the cost of groceries rising with every week that passes, The Captain and I were talking about finding recipes that are delicious and stretch the food dollars.

This is one of those recipes!

One thing for sure . . . fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and possibly basil, would be a must when we make this.  Of course other substitutions can be made . . . use what you like, leave out what you don't!  This is the perfect meal for someone with a herb and vegetable garden . . . use what is in your garden.

Seems like this dish would work as a leftover the next day as a cold salad for lunch!  Make extra if this sounds like a good idea for you.

Almonds is an ingredient I have not used in this type of dish in the past, neither are pine nuts, which I am sure would serve as a substitute.  I'm thinking it can be left out all together to stretch those dollars even further.  But then again, I'd love to try something different :)

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound campanelle or penne 
• 4 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and cut into quarters 
• 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives 
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted almonds 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 
• kosher salt and black pepper 

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. 

Meanwhile, heat broiler. Place the peppers on a baking sheet skin-side up and broil until blackened, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Scrape the charred skin from the peppers with a paring knife and wipe clean with paper towels. Cut the flesh into 1-inch pieces. 

Add the peppers, olives, almonds, oil, thyme, 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pasta and toss to combine (add more cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce).

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Real Simple

By Charlyne Mattox , May, 2011