Chef´s Choice – Pasta Dishes

Hot Pasta Peperonata

Ingredients

• 

  500 g short pasta (e.g. rigatoni or penne)

• 2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
• 2 yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced
• 2 – 4 red hot chillies, sliced (depends on how hot you want it!)
• 2 red onions, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
• 3 tbsp mascarpone cheese or crème fraîche
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the red and yellow peppers and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until softened.

Add the onion and cook for a further 15 minutes. Then mix in the chillies, garlic and parsley, cook while stirring for about 5 more minutes. Season with a bit more salt and pepper to your taste. Note: Be careful with the chillies, start with two of them, if not hot enough add more!

Add the vinegar, a handful of the grated Parmesan and the mascarpone or crème fraîche. Turn the heat down to minimum and simmer the whole lot, stirring occasionally, while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of slightly salted boiling water according to the packet instructions.

Drain them properly in a colander, reserving some of the pasta water.

Then add the pasta to the peppers, mingle all together gently using a little bit of the water to loosen if necessary.

Drizzle over some olive oil and serve straight away sprinkled with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.