Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Pasta

For dinner tonight I made Annie's roasted red pepper and pesto pasta. I have been drooling every time I see the picture on her blog so I decided to make it tonight. It was AWESOME. My picture doesn't do this justice so look at her blog to get a better idea of how yummy this is. My grocery store was out of fresh basil (?!) so I improvised by omitting the pine nuts as well and using a 1/4 of a packet of Knorr's pesto sauce seasonings. It still turned out wonderful and was a great last meal of 2008. Also I halved the recipe and it was perfect for the two of us.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pine nuts **
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup roasted red bell pepper (fresh or jarred)
1 cup basil leaves **
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. penne pasta
¼ cup heavy cream, optional (I used light cream)

**Can sub Knorr's pesto sauce mix packet (add gradually until the desired level of pesto is added. I used 1/4 packet for half of this recipe)

Directions:
Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add Parmesan, red pepper, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. With the motor running, add olive oil through the feed tube and process until incorporated. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the pesto to the pasta and stir to combine. Stir in heavy cream if desired for a creamier sauce. Heat until warmed through. Serve immediately.