My  hubby loves roasted peppers. I’m not a huge fan, so I don’t often think to make them. But when I saw this roasted pepper with capers salad last week on Smitten Kitchen, I knew I had to make it. I changed it up a little by turning the salad into a pasta that is great warm or room temperature. I served this with healthy turkey meatballs and a fresh arugula salad. My Italian pasta and pepper loving hubby loved this dinner and couldn’t stop raving about it. Actually we all loved it. Our 3 year old especially. She kept asking for more caramels (capers).

Roasting the peppers makes them oh so sweet and the peels slip right off. What a perfect way to use up Summer peppers.  This would be a perfect dish to pack in your next picnic basket.

Roasted Pepper, Caper, and Mozzarella Pasta
Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4-6

6 bell peppers
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
8 oz mini mozzarella balls (the fresh kind in the water)
1/2 lb pasta, cooked in salted water and drained

Roast the peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line peppers on a large baking sheet and roast them for 45 minutes to 1 hour, using tongs to rotate them 1/4 of the way, rotisserie-style, every 15 minutes. It’s safer to extend the cooking time than shorten it, as the skins will only come off easily if they’re fully cooked.
Once they’re fully roasted, cover the pepper tray with another piece of foil and let the peppers cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Remove seeds and slice sections of pepper into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Toss peppers with red wine vinegar, garlic and a few pinches of salt. Cover and let marinate for an hour or overnight (and up to 4 days) in the fridge.
Pour cooked pasta into a large bowl. Toss in pepper mixture. Adjust seasonings, adding salt, freshly ground black pepper or additional vinegar, to taste. Arrange mozzarella and capers on top and sprinkle with parsley.

adapted from Smitten Kitchen recipe