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1.
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Roast red bell peppers in a 400 F oven for 30-40 minutes until skin is charred and wrinkly.
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2.
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Remove peppers from oven, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
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Let this sit until the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
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Then remove the stem and seeds and peel off the skin.
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The steam from the hot peppers when you covered them with plastic wrap should make the skin come off fairly easily.
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3.
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When roasted peppers are peeled and seeded, give them a rough chop and set aside.
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4.
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Cook pasta in very salty water until 2 minutes less than the al dente time on your package instructions.
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Then drain and set aside.
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5.
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While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
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6.
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Add garlic and onion to saucepan and saute until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add all of the chopped roasted red pepper pieces, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 minutes until vinegar is bubbling and fragrant.
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7.
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Add red wine to saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes until wine has reached a simmer, then remove mixture from heat.
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8.
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Transfer wine and red pepper mixture to a separate bowl and return the saucepan to the stove over medium-high heat.
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No need to clean out the panyoull return the red pepper mixture to the same pan in a few minutes.
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9.
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Melt butter in the saucepan then add flour.
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Whisk to form a roux and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
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10.
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Slowly add vegetable stock into the roux, whisking constantly to work out any lumps.
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11.
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Add milk and whisk to combine.
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Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
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The sauce wont thicken a whole lot, so dont worry if it still looks a little thin.
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12.
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Add cream cheese to sauce and whisk to combine.
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When cream cheese has melted, return red pepper mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine.
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Bring sauce back to a low simmer, then remove saucepan from heat.
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13.
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Blend sauce with an immersion blender (you could also transfer sauce to a regular blender) until all chunks have been blended and you have a smooth sauce.
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Taste and season as necessary.
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14.
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Add cooked ziti to sauce and toss to combine.
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Transfer pasta to a large baking dish (I used a large oval baker but a 9x13 should be fine as well) and top with shredded mozzarella.
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You can bake it immediately or save it in the fridge for another day.
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15.
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When youre ready to eat, bake ziti at 375 F for 20-25 minutes until cheese has melted and slightly browned.
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If you had the ziti in the fridge before baking, it may take a little longer to cook.
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16.
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Top ziti with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.
