Goat Cheese Alfredo with Roasted Red Peppers, Artichokes and Kale

ETA on 5/21/13 - I made the basic recipe today (no artichokes or kale) and used the immersion blender to puree it.  O.M.G. sooooo good!  Blending it really brings out the sweet roasted red pepper flavor.  I will be pureeing this from now on.

Sooooooooooooooo good.

As usual, I made some changes from the original recipe:  fat free evaporated milk instead of half & half because that's what I had on hand, 12 oz. instead of 1 cup because a can of evap milk is 12 oz. and I didn't want to store leftover milk.  5 oz. goat cheese instead of 4 oz. because the log I bought was 5 oz., and again I didn't want to store a smidge of leftover cheese.  Since this increased the amount of sauce, I added an extra pepper.  14 oz. artichoke hearts because that was the size of the can.  And I added some leftover roasted kale I had in the fridge.  I didn't use the immersion blender (too lazy to find it and pull it out) so I minced the roasted red peppers on my cutting board.  Because I added so much extra, this easily serves 4.

Goat Cheese Alfredo with Roasted Red Peppers, Artichokes and Kale
Adapted from this recipe.

 Ingredients:

• 3 red bell peppers
• 1/2 lb. whole wheat fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (12 oz.) can fat free evaporated milk
• 1 (5 oz.) log of goat cheese
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan (plus more for topping)
• 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 cups roasted kale
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.  Roast the peppers for 30 minutes, turning them halfway through.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Let sit for 10 - 15 minutes until cool enough to handle, then peel and discard the skin and discard the core.  Mince the roasted peppers and set aside.
• Prepare pasta to al dente, per package instructions.  Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft.  Add the evaporated milk and goat cheese.  Stir frequently until cheese is melted.  Add parmesan and continue stirring until melted.
• Add the minced roasted peppers, chopped artichoke hearts, roasted kale and TSSS to taste.  Stir until combined and well heated.  Add the cooked pasta and toss.
• Serve topped with more parmesan.

If you want a deeper red color, add the peppers, then puree the mixture with an immersion blender before adding in the artichokes and kale.