Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This is a great way to use up a jar of roasted red peppers (or roast your own in the oven), and it might be the fastest sauce I've ever made.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serves 4

½ lb. rigatoni or other tubular pasta

2 cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ yellow onion, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 8 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

Salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

¼ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli in the last 4-5 minutes of cooking (if fresh, or the last 2 minutes if frozen).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.   Add the roasted red peppers, about a teaspoon of salt, and Italian seasoning and cook another minute.  Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree, then return to the hot pan.  Stir in the yogurt and Parmesan cheese to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

Drain the pasta-broccoli combination and add to the sauce, stirring to coat evenly.  Serve hot!