Simple Red Pepper Cream Sauce

I made this for dinner tonight. It got very enthusiastic thumbs up from the peanut gallery. I've tried a few different variations over the years, but this was the simplest so far and pulled together in a matter of a couple of minutes.

1 roasted red pepper**
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese + additional for garnish
1 cup cream

optional ingredients:
coarsely ground pepper
minced garlic
bacon bits

In a small food processor, puree the red pepper and cheese. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it is just barely simmering. Stir in the pepper and cheese mixture and simmer for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is silky. If you are going to use garlic in your sauce, you should saute it in a table spoon of butter first, then add the cream, then add the pepper and cheese mixture. The pepper and bacon bits can be added just before serving.

Tonight I poured this sauce over cheese tortellini, shredded chicken, peas and broccoli. I simply added the broccoli and peas to the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cook time, then sprinkled a little bit more cheese on top. I did the bacon bit variation, but skipped the garlic and pepper (my kids freak out over pepper). It was very tasty, and a perfect 20 minute meal.

**I used bottled roasted red peppers tonight. I prefer to roast my own peppers, but when time is of the essence, go for the easy fix.