1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1 sm. red onion, quartered, thinly sliced crosswise
2 med. sized zucchini, cut in 1/2" squares
Salt
Handful of basil leaves, lightly chopped or cut into strips
3/4 lb. rigatoni, penne or other tubular pasta
1 lg. or 2 med. sized tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped
Garlic mayonnaise, recipe follows
Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the peppers in half, brush them on both sides with vegetable oil and set them, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake until the skins have become wrinkled and loose, about 25 minutes. Let them cool then pull off the skins. Cut the peppers into small squares. While the peppers are roasting, put a large pot of water onto boil for the pasta.

2. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan or saute pan; add the onion and zucchini and salt lightly. Cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and the zucchini has started to color, about 5 minutes. Shake the pan every so often to keep things from sticking. Add the peppers and half the basil.

3. When the water boils, add salt to taste and the pasta and cook until it is al dente. Ladle a little of the water into a serving bowl to warm it; then drain the pasta.

Combine the pasta with the vegetables, stir in the mayonnaise and gently mix everything together. Season with plenty of pepper and garnish with the remaining basil. Or serve the vegetables and pasta on individual plates with a spoonful of the sauce in the middle and let each person mix his or her own. Yield: 4 servings.

GARLIC MAYONNAISE:

4-8 garlic cloves
Salt, coarse if available
1 egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 c. light olive or peanut oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Good quality virgin olive oil
Hot water

1. Pound the garlic with a couple of pinches of coarse salt until it has thoroughly broken down into a smooth puree. Add the yolk and whisk until thick and slightly sticky; then begin adding the light oil, at first drop by drop, until the sauce begins to thicken, and then in a thin steady steam, whisking constantly. When the oil has been incorporated, stir in the lemon juice, then whisk in several tablespoons of the heavier virgin oil to taste.

2. Add hot water by the tablespoon to thin the sauce. It should be thick but pourable, not a dense, quivering mass. Taste and season, as needed, with more salt and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Alternately, once the garlic has been pounded, the mayonnaise can be made in a blender or food processor. The method is the same, but use a whole egg instead of just the yolk. Yield: 1 cup.