Roasted Sweet Peppers: 2 ways

I picked up a bag of the tricolor baby sweet peppers from Costco thinking my boys would love these little gems straight from the bag like me...but alas, raw peppers seem to be only something I enjoy! So I had to think of something to do with all the peppers in my fridge.

Oven roasted peppers are just divine and can be used so many ways so I gave it a shot. When roasted they become soft and even sweeter and the house smells amazing.

To roast peppers, simply remove the stem and cut out the seeds before or after roasting, your call. I cut the peppers in half and removed the seeds to save time later. Place your peppers in a rimmed baking sheet and slather with olive oil. Roast at 400 F for about 30 minutes or until very tender, stirring every 10 min to prevent from burning. A little blackening is ok and adds yummy smokiness!

Now for the not fun part- removing the skins, but you can omit this step if you want. It is totally a preference thing and NOT necessary for the following recipes.

To remove the skins wait till the peppers cool completely. The skins will look loose. Peel with your fingers under running water if desired. Sometimes the skins can be tough, but I found the mini pepper skins to be pretty tender still.

Now you have a pile of yummy roasted peppers to add to a bunch of things! Sandwiches, salads, burgers, add to homemade hummus... I made a pasta and a soup. Here are the recipes

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad with Parmesan, Pine nuts and Tomatoes

Cook up some of your favorite pasta, drain and toss in olive oil in a large bowl. Add some chopped roasted peppers, a couple diced fresh tomatoes, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan, 1 clove minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

I used an herbed olive oil in this and it added so much flavor.

The next recipe was a hit with the boys! Yay!

Sweet Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Parmesan Croutons

2 cups roasted sweet peppers pureed

2 cups chickpeas pureed

2 cloves garlic minced

Chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

Combine Pureed peppers and beans in a soup pot. Add as much chicken stock as you like for desired consistency. Add minced garlic and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Parmesan Croutons

roughly chop 4 slices dried out sourdough bread and place in a rimmed baking pan. Drizzle olive oil all over and a good handful of parmesan cheese. mix together with hands to make sure the bread is evenly coated. Bake at 350 F for 5-8 minutes, stir and bake 5 minutes more or until bread is toasted.