pasta ai peperoni (bell peppers pasta)

I volunteer at a Food pantry and sometimes we are left with produce that we are not able to distribute. This week we had bell peppers and of course…I was not going to waste them! So I made one of my favorite summer pasta dishes.

I love bell peppers, they are so colorful and summery!

Did you know that green peppers are simply not fully ripened red, orange or yellow peppers? They are basically harvested just before they are fully ready and change their color, that’s why they are less sweet

SERVES 5

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers (red and/or orange)

• ½ onion (chopped)

• 1 garlic clove (minced)

• 3 sprig of fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

• 1 tbsp of olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 lb of pasta (preferably short shape such as rigatoni, farfalle or penne)

• Grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese (optional)

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the peppers. Remove the stem, the core and the white ribs. Now chop in squares - about 1.5 by 1.5 inches per side. Set aside. Roughly chop the onion and mince the garlic.

2. Heat a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, on medium-high heat, in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. As soon as the onion turns translucent, add the minced garlic. Stir and let cook for another minute or so.

3. Now you can add the chopped peppers. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

4. Add a cup of water, mix well and cover with a lid. Now reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes.

5. In the meantime bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

6. After 20 minutes of simmering, the peppers should be very soft, almost fork tender. In case they are still very hard, keep cooking for 3 to 5 minutes more.

7. Transfer the cooked vegetables in a tall bowl and blend them with a hand-blender. If you don’t have one you can use a regular blender or food processor, just be mindful of the heat and place a cloth or towel over the lid to avoid potential splashes. Pulse until you obtain a smooth sauce. Transfer the sauce back in the saucepan where you cooked the peppers.

8. At this point water should be boiling in the large pot, so you can cook the pasta according to packaging instructions. 

9. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and transfer the pasta in the pan with the pepper sauce. Mix well and serve immediately with grated cheese, if desired. 

Buon Appetito!