Pasta party with friends and a quick appetizer
It is funny how people give me strange looks when I invite them to my home for a dinner party. Would it not be easier to meet in a restaurant? And less dishes to clean? And would it not be more fun for me? No, honestly, it would not. Besides the fact that I love cooking and playing around in the kitchen, I enjoy being able to sit down at a table and know where the ingredients come from. And dinner for four at my place is usually less expensive than paying my tab going out to dinner. At least if I am looking for the same quality. And believe me, I had enough mediocre food in my life. Enough frozen food that was served to my table after a short de-tour to the fryer or the microwave. I love going out for great food, enjoying the creations of innovative chefs, having a mind-blowing wine pairing suggested by a talented sommelier. But right now those dinners are special treats for me (don’t I love being an entrepreneur) and I like to see my friends more often than once every couple of months.
And a dinner with friends does not have to be an elaborate affair taking days of prep in the kitchen. One of my favorites is inviting to a pasta party. Two or three sauces that can be prepared ahead, can be reheated when your guests are all settled in, and you can easily cater to vegetarians and carnivores alike. You can find inspiration for pasta sauces right here.
So while you are waiting for all your guests to arrive, relax, enjoy a first glass of wine, put out some appetizers: some cheese, maybe some charcuterie, minty eggplant. Or sweet roasted peppers with a gooey cheese center. Easy and tasty.
Ingredients
Four bell peppers (yellow, red or orange are nice for the color)
1 tablespoon Cosimo’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Blend”
1 teaspoon Roberta’s Fine Roasting & Grilling Salt
5 oz. queso fresco or ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon Roberta’s Sun-dried Tomato Spread
12 slices baguette bread
1 garlic clove (optional)
Method: (1) Heat oven to 450 F (2) Wash bell peppers and cut lengthwise into three pieces (3) Lay into a baking pan, brush with Cosimo’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with Roberta’s Fine Roasting & Grilling Salt (4) Roast in the oven for approx. 10 minutes (5) In the meantime, mix the cheese with Roberta’s Sun-dried Tomato Spread (6) When the peppers have a nice glow to them, take them out of the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes (7) Put a teaspoon of the cheese mixture onto the wider end of the pepper and roll up. Close with a toothpick, if necessary (8) Put back in the oven for another 5 min for the cheese to slightly melt (9) The same time, put the baguette slices into the oven for a nice crisp (10) Cut the garlic clove in half and gently brush over each slice of baguette (11) Serve cheese filled peppers together with the baguette on the side.
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Tags: appetizer recipe, Pasta sauce recipe, roasted pepper recipe, sun dried tomatoes
