One Pot Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Ingredients

• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lb. Fettuccine
• 1 small Vidalia onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 jar roasted red peppers
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 oz. cream cheese, optional

Directions

1. Cut the onion into thin slices and finely chop the garlic. Lift the red peppers out of their jar liquid, then cut them into narrow strips. Add the broth, onion, garlic, sliced red peppers, diced tomatoes with their juice, basil, crushed red pepper, and freshly cracked black pepper, about 10-15 turns of the grinder, to a large pot. Stir everything together.
2. Snap the fettuccine in half and place it in the pot, nudging the pasta down into the liquid as much as you can.
3. Cover the pot and set the burner to high. When the liquid comes to a strong boil, stir briefly to free any pasta from the bottom, cover again, and lower the heat to medium-low.
4. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so the pasta does not cling to the pot. Replace the lid promptly after each stir. At 10 minutes, check whether the pasta is al dente. When the pasta is tender, take the pot off the heat. If the liquid cooks down before the pasta is done, add a little water and keep simmering.
5. Cut the cream cheese into tablespoon-sized pieces and add them to the pot. Stir until the cheese melts into the pasta and the sauce turns smooth; it may seem lumpy in the beginning, but it will come together. Serve hot.