6-Pepper Pasta

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 serving
  • Total: 30 min
  • Active: 30 min
This quick weeknight pasta dish is loaded with a full half dozen kinds of pepper: fresh sweet peppers, fresh chile pepper, jarred roasted peppers, oil-packed Calabrian chiles, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper. We make a rich, bright sauce that has a deep flavor and plenty of kick, then garnish the pasta with pepper flakes and fresh parsley. The dish is tangy and smoky with a nice bit of heat at the end. Spaghetti is an excellent match for this bold sauce, but you can substitute your favorite pasta shape as well.
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Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 pound spaghetti

3 ounces roasted red peppers

2 Calabrian chiles, packed in oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

12 mini sweet peppers, thinly sliced

1 Fresno chile pepper, seeds and white ribs removed, pepper thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the roasted red peppers, Calabrian chiles, tomato paste, sherry vinegar, garlic, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous amount of black pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to a separate large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mini sweet peppers and Fresno chile pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the red pepper sauce in the blender to the pot.
  4. Pour the reserved cooking water into the empty blender, swirl it a few times, then pour the water into the pot. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until well combined. Add the cooked spaghetti, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and toss until the Parmesan melts. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Garnish with parsley.

Let's Get Cooking!

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