Linguine with Red Bell Peppers and Kalamata Olives

Ingredients

• Crushed red pepper flakes

  ¼ tsp or 0.08g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  3 tbsp or 41g

• Garlic

  Raw

  3 clove or 9g

• Whole wheat pasta

  Dry

  8 oz or 227g

• Parmesan cheese

  Low sodium

  1 cup, grated or 100g

• Red bell pepper

  Sweet, raw

  2 large (2-1/4 per pound, approx 3-3/4" lo or 328g

• Balsamic vinegar

  1 tbsp or 16g

• Olives

  Ripe, canned (jumbo-super colossal)

  16 jumbo or 133g

• Basil

  Fresh

  20 tbsp, chopped or 53g

Directions

1. Stem,seed the red bell peppers and cut them into 1/3 inch cubes. Pit the olives and cut them into quarters. Press the garlic cloves without the juice running out.
2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, olives, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Saute until bell peppers are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add pasta, 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid, 1 cup basil, 1 cup cheese, and vinegar. Toss until sauce coats pasta, adding more reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil and serve, passing additional cheese.