Casarecce Pasta alla Peperonata (sweet pepper sauce)
Stewed sweet peppers are the star of this Southern Italian peperonata pasta recipe. In Italy, this sauce can be served with pasta or as a side dish. It's simple to make and full of flavour.
Servings: 4
Calories: 568kcal
Ingredients
- 400 g casarecce pasta (14oz)
- 2 red sweet peppers (bell peppers/capsicums)
- 2 yellow sweet peppers
- 2 orange sweet peppers
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 red onions preferably from Tropea. Peeled and sliced
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 300 g tomato passata (10 oz) I use Cirio or Mutti rustica
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin oilve oil
- 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- fresh basil or parsley as required
- grated grana or Parmigiano Reggiano as required
Instructions
- Wash and dry the peppers well,. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the stalk with seeds and internal white filaments. Cut the peppers into smallish strips.
- Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them and cut them in half. Peel the onions and slice (not too finely). Peel the garlic.
- Put the extra virgin olive oil into a deep frying pan or skillet and add the onions , garlic cloves and peppers. Cook over a medium heat until all the ingredients start to soften. Stir often.
- Add the tomato passata, the cherry tomatoes, the bay leaf and wine vinegar, plus salt to taste. Mix everything together well and cook covered for 30-40 minutes over a low to medium heat. Stir occasionally. (some Italians cook it for longer but as a pasta sauce I think 40 minutes is more than enough)
- While the pepper sauce is cooking, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Before draining the pasta save a cup of the cooking water.
- Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the peperonata and mix together well. If the sauce seems dry add some of the pasta cooking water.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkling of ground black pepper, chopped basil or parsley and grated cheese (if required)
Notes
If you make a larger quantity you can save some peperonata to eat as a side dish or on bruschetta. You can also bake the pasta and sauce before serving. Before putting it in the oven, add some grated parmesan or grana on top (or mozzarella) (It’s very good).
You can use other pasta for this recipe. I would recommend other typical Southern Italian short pasta like penne, cavatelli, orecchiette or rigatoni.
This recipe can also be made with homemade casarecce.
Nutrition
Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 1058mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 4321IU | Vitamin C: 278mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg