Penne with red peppers, herbs

I got this recipe from Chicago Tribune Food and Drink eNewsletter.
I really have to hand it to them for offering a vegetarian dish. That’s how pathetic this rampantly carnivore area of the country has made me!
I made it vegan with a little tweak *

Penne with red peppers and fresh herbs
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 23 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1/2 pound penne pasta
2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, sliced in 1/4-inch wide strips
1/2 tsp. salt
4 green onions, white and some green, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled Italian plum tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp. each, fresh: thyme leaves, oregano leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated *vegan Parmesan cheese
Tip: For a heartier dish, *chick peas simmered in the tomato sauce would be delicious. Substitute another small pasta, such as gemelli, or linguine or spaghetti, if you prefer those shapes.
1. Heat a stockpot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until just softened, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add peppers and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, stirring to coat with oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add onions; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, thyme, oregano, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste in a food processor; process until tomatoes are roughly chopped. Transfer to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir drained pasta and reserved 2 tablespoons of pasta liquid into sauce; cook over medium heat to allow pasta to soak up some of the sauce, about 3 or 4 minutes. Divide among 4 serving bowls; top each with 1 tablespoon of the *vegan grated cheese.
Nutrition information per serving:
359 calories; 25 percent of calories from fat; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 4 mg. cholesterol; 4 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 627 mg. sodium; 6 grams fiber.