Easy Pasta Peperonata – Healthy Seasonal Recipes

This simple Pasta Peperonata is tossed with a wealthy and savory sauce made with sautéed peppers, onions, tomato, anchovies, and capers. All that’s left to do is prime it off with recent Parmesan and serve with crusty bread for a hearty and scrumptious 25-minute weeknight meal.

Why We Love This Recipe For Straightforward Pasta Peperonata

The recent, dry Italian summer time settles over the hillside, and wafts of garlic, peppers, and onion swirl by the air: ah, it’s peperonata season! Are you able to inform I wish to be in Italy proper now? 

Peperonata comes from the phrase peperone, that means “candy peppers,” and is a dish comprised of stewed peppers and onions (and different seasonal veggies in case you’d like) usually eaten with bread, pasta, or my desire – each! Historically a vegetarian dish, we’ve determined to create this recipe in the identical vein as our Puttanesca Sauce by incorporating anchovy and capers. The salt of the anchovy, and the umami from the capers create the right taste stability alongside the candy peppers, tomatoes, and onions. 

Peppers are an actual standout vegetable in the summertime and this pasta peperonata is a scrumptious strategy to spotlight them! The important thing to cooking the right peppers for this dish is to prepare dinner them slowly till they’re meltingly comfortable and their sweetness is pulled to the floor. The moisture that cooks out of the peppers and onions makes the feel of the sauce velvety and wealthy. 

Our model of peperonata can also be tossed along with pasta, however you may serve this as a type of bruschetta-type appetizer by spooning it over crusty bread. You may also take pleasure in all of it by itself for a lightweight and refreshing summer time vegetable deal with!

Key Substances for this Recipe

Peppers

Crimson bell peppers are identified to be the sweetest of candy peppers, so I like to recommend utilizing two pink bell peppers, and two yellow bell peppers. When you just like the style of sautéed inexperienced peppers you may sub in two of them rather than a pink or yellow pepper. They’ll contribute a barely grassy taste to the peperonata.

Onion

A big candy onion goes to stew alongside the bell peppers to create a candy and flavorful sauce. When you like extra shade, use pink onions as an alternative.

Anchovy

Chopped anchovy disintegrate into the vegetable sauce, including a salty and savory taste to the in any other case candy dish. Search for sustainable anchovies when buying as these little guys are endangered now! Be happy to omit them if you don’t like them or are vegetarian. When you accomplish that add a pinch of salt to style.

Capers

Not solely do the capers add a salty and umami flavoring to the dish, they’re additionally secretly filled with antioxidants!

Step by Step Directions to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Cook dinner Pasta

Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and provides it an excellent stir in order that it doesn’t stick collectively. Cook dinner in response to the bundle directions.

I wish to observe the timing for al dente pasta because it has the most effective texture and is barely decrease glycemic than pasta that’s cooked longer. If you’re unsure, give the cooked pasta a bit style to see if the feel is best for you. Drain the pasta by a colander or sieve. 

Be happy to maintain a cup of the starchy cooking water in case you wish to skinny your sauce with it.

Step 2: Warmth Skillet and Sauté

Whereas your pasta is cooking, warmth oil in a big frying pan, straight-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium-high warmth. Add anchovy, chopped garlic cloves, and crushed pink pepper. Stir this collectively till it’s aromatic, which ought to be about 15 to 30 seconds.

Step 3: Add Peppers

Add pink and yellow peppers, onion, and 1 teaspoon of salt and prepare dinner till the peppers and onion begin to brown. Stir typically for about 14 to 16 minutes.

Step 4: Add Tomato and Capers

Stir within the tomato puree and capers and produce the combination to a simmer. Cowl the pan, and cut back the warmth to medium-low. Simmer, eradicating the lid to stir sometimes, till the peppers are very tender. This could take about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Add Pasta, Garnish, and Serve!

Stir within the drained pasta till mixed over low warmth. When you wish to skinny your pasta sauce with the cooking liquid, accomplish that a bit at a time to desired consistency. Divide the dish amongst 4 plates and serve garnished with Parmigiano cheese and parsley on prime. Take pleasure in!

FAQs and Skilled Ideas

Variations To Attempt

• Vinegar: Sometimes peperonata has a little bit of vinegar added on the finish, and in earlier variations of the recipe I did embrace 1 1/2 teaspoon of pink wine vinegar as an alternative of tomato puree. As soon as I added the tomato to the recipe I didn’t really feel that the extra acidity was required. That mentioned, if you wish to do this peperonata with out tomato, then I counsel including in a splash of balsamic vinegar or pink wine vinegar on the finish for a little bit of brightness.
• Basil: We used recent chopped parsley on the finish for brightness. Be happy to make use of recent basil as an alternative.
• Olives: Add black olives with the capers. Attempt to discover Italian black olives for the most effective genuine style.
• Contemporary Tomatoes: Throughout tomato season, omit the tomato sauce or tomato puree and add a few chopped plum tomatoes with the peppers.
• Pine Nuts: Toast a pair tablespoons of pine nuts in a small skillet over average warmth, swirling the skillet typically till they’re a bit bit golden and frivolously aromatic. Sprinkle on prime of the pasta and peperonata sauce.

Further Wholesome Pepper Recipes to Attempt

Thanks a lot for studying. If you’re new right here, it’s your decision to join my free weekly email newsletter the place I share weeknight meal plans delivered proper to your inbox. Or observe me on Instagram. When you make this recipe, please come again and depart a star score and evaluate! It is vitally appreciated. Comfortable Cooking! ~Katie

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