creamy 3-pepper pasta

i love pasta. i really do, but sometimes capellini with olive oil or even a red sauce can become just plain boring. so i decided to whip up some creamy pasta...something that will linger in your mouth just a little bit longer on a chilly spring evening.

creamy 3 pepper pasta

4 tablespoons earth balance
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 c. soy cream or blended silken tofu
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 red pepper, sliced; 1/2 orange pepper, sliced; 1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 package super firm tofu - sliced into "cutlets"
2 cups penne pasta
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 onion bouillon
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

in a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil and add your cutlets. fry up until they are a golden brown on each side. remove from heat and let cool. once they are to room temperature, slice into strips. in that same skillet add your peppers and shallot and let cook until slightly soft to the bite.

in a medium pot, bring 4 cups water to boil and add your pasta. once al dente, remove and drain.

in another small pot add your garlic, earth balance, soy cream or blended silken tofu, onion bouillon, pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10-15 minutes. add your fresh basil in the final 3-4 minutes of cooking. if you should need to thicken your cream sauce a bit, add a little brown rice flour and whisk together.

toss together the pasta, peppers and cream sauce. for each serving add a sliced tofu cutlet and garnish with fresh parsley and fresh cracked pepper.

serve with good baguette and a glass of cabernet.

enjoy!