Conchiglie Pasta with Roasted Pepper-Tomato Pesto,Grilled Bread with 'Mozzarella', Vegan 'Sausage'

I'm overdue for making pasta, and made a new sauce today for organic conchiglie (seashell-shaped) pasta imported from Italia. I used a technique I learned on our visit there in October of slowly cooking onion slivers down in olive oil over low heat in a covered pan. As the onion very slowly carmelized, I added in chopped roasted tomatoes (purchased) and roasted bell pepper. I then mixed in some homemade pesto sauce and a little bit more olive oil.

To make the bell pepper, I simply put the pepper atop a flame on the gas range, turning it occasionally, till all sides were singed. I like to then put the pepper in a brown bag and crumple the bag closed to allow the smoke flavor to permeate the pepper, but I couldn't find a small bag. Instead, I put the pepper in a container and covered it for 5 minutes or so.

I served the pasta with apple-sage artisanal vegan sausage that I grilled. I also grilled some multi-grain bread with some Bute Island Foods' (they make the best vegan cheese I remember having, and their products are soon to be available from Black Duck Imports in this country) mozzarella sheese on top. (I loved the cheddars that I had brought back from London in January; the mozzarella is okay and perhaps a little too modest in flavor.)