Pasta With White Beans and Golden Onions

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, August 2004

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and cut lengthwise into thin slices (2 1/2 cups)
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 large orange bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide strips (4 cups)
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeño chile, including seeds, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup water
1 lb Barilla Plus Penne Pasta
1 can white beans such as Great Northern or cannellini (16- to 19-oz) drained and rinsed
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup) (or another grating cheese)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onions, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute, then transfer onions to a bowl.
2. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and sauté bell peppers, chile, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until bell peppers are tender, about 8 minutes. Add onions and water and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet, then remove from heat.
3. While peppers are sautéing, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking water, then drain pasta well in a colander and return to pot. Add onion mixture, reserved cooking water, beans, half of cheese, and half of parsley and toss well. Serve sprinkled with remaining cheese and parsley.