The last few weeks have been exhausting and devastating simultaneously. I flew to Italy March 4th expecting to stay there for three months, but three days after my arrival I realized that my Mother’s hospital stay in Canada for what initially was sciatic nerve pain had progressed to something much more critical so I booked a flight back to Canada and left the next day. I spent the following week at my 94 year old Mother’s bedside and was with her along with my sister when she passed away in the early morning of March 19th., just over a week after I arrived. My Mother and I were very close and I can certainly attribute my positive life attitude to my Mother. Mom had endured many challenges in her life, both personal and medical, but she always kept a positive attitude and would often say, “Tomorrow is a new day”. I never met a single person who didn’t love my Mother, and she never met a stranger as she would make friends with everyone she met. After my Mom passed, I stayed another week wrapping up my Mother’s affairs, and am now trying to adjust to life without my Mother before I head back to Italy next week.

Growing up, my Mother wasn’t the best cook, and most of her meals were prepared to please my meat and potatoes loving Father. My Mother did however make great cabbage rolls, prepare the most tender roasted meats, and was well known for her Lemon Meringue Pie. My Mother was very proud of my cooking skills however, and loved enjoying good food served around our family table. One of my Mom’s favorite ingredient combinations was roasted peppers and goat cheese. No matter what else I was preparing, I always tried to roast some peppers for Mom, and had creamy goat cheese on hand when she was visiting. This pasta recipe is for Mom as I know she would love it since it contains two of her favorite ingredients and she was always happy to be served a plate of pasta. This one is for you Mom, I love you!

You can use jarred roasted peppers in this pasta dish although making them fresh will taste better. Use a creamy, not aged goat cheese as the sauce is made by combining the pasta water along with the goat cheese. If you like, you can serve this pasta topped with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.

Doris Elizabeth Forget
November 17th 1924 – March 19th 2019

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Goat Cheese & Roasted Pepper Pasta For Mom

Yield: Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Creamy goat cheese is used as the pasta sauce along with sweet roasted peppers.

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Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1 Cup Roasted Sweet Bell Peppers, Peeled & Thinly Sliced
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• 4 Large Fresh Basil Leaves, Thinly Sliced
• 4 Ounces Creamy Goat Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
• 3/4 Pound Dried Pasta Such As Penne or Rigatoni

Optional:

• Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese For Serving

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and cook the garlic just until fragrant.
3. Add the peppers to the pan, stirring to mix.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and mix the fresh basil into the pan.
5. Cook the pasta until it is "al dente", then drain and reserve a cup of the pasta water.
6. Add the goat cheese, and a 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the frying pan and mix over medium heat until the cheese has melted.
7. Add the pasta to the pan along with the olives, and toss to coat with the sauce.
8. Serve the pasta in individual bowls, passing the grated cheese for those who want it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 255mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

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