Red Pepper Pasta

There is a long story that goes with this recipe. I got it over a year ago when my in-laws bought some special pasta for us at Pike Place Market. I finally decided to make it. As you'll see, the recipe is a little time consuming, but I was so excited to make it and Ryan and I were both looking forward to dinner all day. It came time to pour the pasta into the boiling water. I open the bag (that isn't see-through) and dump the pasta in, thinking, "this doesn't look like Mild Spice Red Pepper Pasta". Turns out, they had given us the wrong pasta that went with the recipe on the other side of the paper. I'm posting this recipe anyway because the chicken mixture was excellent, and I am confident it would taste fantastic on top of fettuccine. But I wouldn't recommend the Trumpet Blend pasta (carrot, chive, dill, parsley, and peppercorn flavors), which is what we ended up with!

1 lb. pasta
2 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke seasoning
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 red bell peppers
1 jalapeno for mild spice, two for hot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix liquid smoke and soy sauce for marinade. Place chicken in marinade and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Grill, broil or saute chicken until medium rare. Slice into thin, bite-sized strips and reserve.

Roast red bell peppers and jalapenos until skins char. Sweat charred peppers in large bowl tightly sealed with plastic wrap. Peel off and discard skins when peppers are cool enough to handle. Slice open peppers and remove seeds. Make sure to reserve juices.

Puree roasted peppers and juices with garlic and chicken stock in blender. Pour this sauce in large skillet or wok. Add reserved chicken and simmer. Keep warm on lowest possible heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in 6-8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 5-8 minutes). Drain and add directly to sauce. Toss gently, add cilantro. Allow to heat through. Serve immediately. If desired, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Serves 6