Rigatoni with Yellow Peppers

by Joe Trivelli, featured in The Modern Italian Cook

Published by Seven Dials

Introduction

This is a recipe that uses a lot of sweet pepper whizzed into a smooth sauce. I enjoy the juxtaposition of it with the spicy raw basil: a very satisfying and unusual result from just a few ingredients. Whole-wheat pasta is also a great choice with this sauce.

As featured in

The Modern Italian Cook

Image of Joe Trivelli's Rigatoni with Yellow Peppers — Photo by Matt Russell

Ingredients

Serves: 4

1 large or 2 small yellow peppers (deseeded and sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
½ dried chilli
40 millilitres double cream
400 grams whole-wheat rigatoni pasta
1 bunch fresh basil (leaves only)
salted ricotta (optional)
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

Method

Rigatoni with Yellow Peppers is a guest recipe by Joe Trivelli so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Place a medium pan over a medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the pepper for 3 minutes before adding the garlic with a pinch of salt. Crumble in the chilli and continue to cook over a lower heat, stirring occasionally and covering in between. Cook the pepper until completely soft. This might take up to 30 minutes.
Once the pepper is cooked, add the cream and bring to the boil. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning - it should be sweet, rich and spicy.
Puree in a food processor until smooth (or use a stick blender if the amount is too small for your processor) and return to the pan.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente, following the instructions on the packet. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the pan containing the peppers. Toss over a low heat, adding the basil leaves and using the pasta water if necessary to make the sauce creamy and luscious.
Serve on warm plates with grated salted ricotta, if you like.