Low Fat Roasted Red Pepper Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 red bell peppers, roasted and chopped coarse (1 1/2 cups)
1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese)
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup packed fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation

Toast the garlic in an 8\" skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and spotty brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the garlic to a plate and let cool before peeling.
Process the garlic, peppers, Parmesan, ricotta, shallot, parsley, thyme, oil, and 1/2 teaspoons salt in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When tossing the pesto with pasta, add some of the pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the consistency of the pesto.
This makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta.
Note:
To make ahead, the pesto can be covered with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed flush against its surface and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Do not freeze this pesto.