It’s one of those days again. One where I share a recipe that will not go straight to your thighs. One that actually has good for you ingredients. Strange, I know. Nonetheless, I am happy to share with you my newest pasta salad creation! It is perfect for the summer.
If you’ve never roasted your own peppers before, you need to. Simple as that. I actually did these little guys on the grill, because I was sitting outside by the grill yesterday afternoon and thought ‘hmm, what can I do? I’ll grill some peppers’. Yes, that is exactly how this recipe started. It’s amazing how far one little thought can go. Anyway, I just sliced up one red and one green pepper, put them into two foil packets, and grilled them on low about 10 to 15 minutes until they were fork tender and a teeny bit charred. Mmmm!
Once the peppers were done, my mind had already traveled to the land of cheese. Mozzarella cheese land to be specific. So I went to the store (which I must add, was dead on the 4th of July) and ended up getting some smoked mozzarella. Again, if you haven’t yet experienced smoked mozzarella, I suggest you do. It’s like cheese meets bacon. Without the bacon.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe! The funny thing is, I was just reading my new Food Network magazine tonight, and realized the cover page was a pasta salad with roasted peppers and mozzarella. Gosh, I feel like my glancing at the cover must have subconciously led me to creating this!
Creamy Roasted Pepper & Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
1/2 pound dry pasta
2 bell peppers
1 tbsp. fresh basil
Salt & pepper
4 oz. smoked mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh basil
1. Cook pasta according to instructions. I used shells – use your favorite! Once cooked, pour drained pasta into medium bowl.
2. Cut peppers into 1 to 2-inch strips. Place on foil sheets and season with basil, salt and pepper. Fold foil to form into packets. Place on grill and cook on low about 10 to 15 minutes, until peppers are tender and slightly charred. Cut peppers into small strips and add to bowl with pasta.
3. Cut mozzarella into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes. Add to pasta bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk Italian dressing, mayonnaise, and basil. Pour into pasta bowl and stir until all ingredients are combined. Note: I used fat free Italian dressing and light mayo. Again, keeping things on the healthy side to balance out all the sweet stuff I consume!
