Pepperoni Pasta

Has there ever been a recipe that included the word "pepperoni" that didn't get attention from my family? Probably not, they'd love anything with the stuff. In fact, one of my favorite salads is the Pizza Salad that my cousin Amber shared with us--tasty, very tasty.

This pasta is heavy on the red peppers and tomatoes so there are plenty of vitamins along with the fatty pepperoni part--you might try substituting turkey pepperoni for a little less fat and whole wheat pasta for some extra healthy punch. The sauce is spicy and rich enough that it covers the whole wheat well so that if you don't tell them what you've done they'll never know.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 28-ounce can of pureed or finely diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
8 ounces of pepperoni cut in thin strips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces rotini or other shaped pasta

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onion and garlic to cook over a medium heat until soft. About five minutes. Then add the red and orange bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and paprika and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the pepperoni and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well then let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain. Once drained, served topped with the sauce and some freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

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Technorati tags: food, pasta, pepperoni