Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pasta

It has taken me 27 years to acknowledge that I am a picky eater. I get comfortable with food and see no need to branch out. I always order the same things when I go out to eat, and the majority of my cooking stems from Mom's and Grandma's mad skills. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
That being said, I must say I was quite surprised that not only did this recipe turn out fabulous, it made it into my top 3 favorite meals of all time. In our house, we have a special name for this dish...

"Hey Love, what do you want for dinner this week?"

"Awesome Pasta."

Enough said.

This is another recipe from Rookie-Cookie, but I have a couple of suggestions.
-It calls for Parmesan Cheese, but I know first-hand the the creator of this recipe is not the biggest fan of cheese. That is why she chose Parmesan. I always use shredded Mozzarella. It's cheaper and tastes so good.
-I always half this recipe because it makes quite a bit.
-It would be unwise to try to use dried basil instead of fresh. The fresh basil is one thing that adds so much flavor and makes it look so pretty. So to all my peeps, I planted two basil plants this year, just because I love this dish. Call me, I'll hook you up.

1 lb penne pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 7¼ oz jar roasted red bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp butter
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan, add garlic and saute until slightly browned. Add salt, tomatoes, peppers, cream, butter and crushed red pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup basil and simmer for 1 minute longer. Add pasta to sauce and add the cheese and remaining basil.

Yields 6 servings.