Pasta with bell peppers
Pasta with bell peppers is a simple first course to prepare but literally irresistible for its creaminess and enveloping taste.
A good plate of pasta is what I miss most about Italy. For us, pasta is a bit like tacos for Mexicans, burgers for Americans. Sushi for the Japanese. Essential.
A good plate of pasta in Italy is never lacking. Even when you're on a diet. Small portions but always there, present in the Italian kitchen.
Maybe that's why we Italians look always so fit. A balanced diet without sacrificing the flavor of seasonal vegetables. This is a bitter truth. Unfortunately in America there isn't this custom of eating pasta every day, so when I feel like eating pasta I cook it at home.
The pasta that I propose to you today is a simple but very tasty.
Pasta con i peperoni.
This is how we call bell peppers in Italian. Not pepperoni. Which for those who are not aware, pepperoni in Italian is the equivalent of salami. What a mess huh?
Not really, just learn a little Italian and everything will appear much clearer to you. It's actually very simple, as is this dish. All you have to do is choose your favorite pasta format such as rigatoni or paccheri and add the bell pepper sauce, simply prepared in a pan! A simple step that you will learn in no time by following this recipe step by step!
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Watch my latest video on Instagram! Leave a like and a comment!
[instagram-feed feed=1]Peppers are very rich in vitamins and mineral salts, they are low-calorie and therefore also suitable for those who follow a low-calorie diet. Only drawback, peppers are a little hard to digest, especially for those suffering from gastritis, but sometimes it's enough just to remove the peel. Another ingredient of this tasty first course is optional: cream cheese, like Philadelphia. I prefer the cream cheese because it gives more flavor. It is tastier, thicker and creamier, more suitable to be used above all in the kitchen. I often use it to replace cooking heavy cream, which is certainly fatter and more caloric, and I use it in both sweet and savory recipes. But you can even substitute the cream cheese with greek yogurt. Very suitable for those who follow a low-salt diet and those who are lactose intolerant. And now let's see together how to prepare these tasty rigatoni with bell peppers or peperoni (in italian) so good, colorful and creamy that my friends have renamed them the fake salmon pasta! Ideal to prepare for an impromptu lunch! Let's prepare pasta con i peperoni without cream together!
- 200 g pasta of choice (I chose Rigatoni)
- 2 1 red and yellow bell peppers
- 1/2 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (melted with hot pasta water)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinch salt, pepper and nutmeg (to taste)
- 2 1 fresh basil (optional)
- 1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
- 1/2 cup white wine
Clean and cut the peppers into small pieces. Saute the onion in a drizzle of oil and when it becomes soft, add all the peppers. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg immediately, add a ladle of water and cover with the lid.
Deglaze with half cup of white wine.
Cook for 20 minutes, checking every 5 or so to see if more water is needed. Once cooked, taste: if they are soft and tasty enough, you can blend them, even directly in the pan with an immersion blender. You can choose to leave some bell peppers untouched and blend half of them.If you want to make this sauce creamier, you can add the cream cheese diluted with a little hot water.Cook the chosen pasta and, once ready, drain it al dente and pour it into the pot together with the pepper sauce.
Complete with a drizzle of EVOO and a pinch of black pepper and a dust of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top. Decorate with some fresh basil. (optional)
This dish will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The pepper sauce can be frozen.
I chose rigatoni, but you can cook the pasta you prefer. If you prefer, you can add the basil first and blend it together with the sauce.
