Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad

This is a great light dish for summer. It'd be perfect to bring to a bbq or party! Super easy and if you used whole wheat pasta (which I didn't) it could even be called healthy.

Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper

12 oz rigatoni

2 bell peppers (red and/or yellow), halved, stemmed and seeded

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1/4 c almonds

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon

8 oz bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)

1 bunch fresh basil, leaves torn

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook as label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Shake off the excess water and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the bell peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined broiler pan, add the garlic and broil until charred, 7-8 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; set aside for 5 minutes.

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and toast, 4-5 minutes. Let cool then chop coarsely.

Squeeze the garlic from its skin onto a cutting board. Add 1/2 tsp salt; mince and mash the garlic into a paste with a large knife. Peel the roasted peppers and slice into strips; transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic paste, drizzle with olive oil. Finely grate about 1 tsp lemon zest into the bowl and squeeze in all of the lemon juice. Add the bocconcini, basil, almonds, paste, 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste.