Fresh summer pasta with assorted bell peppers of all colors and olives! Finish it off with generous sprinkle of fresh basil!
If I put it simply, I am a happy person; in general. I love to smile, I love to laugh out loud and sometimes roll on the floor (literally!), I love to watch comedy flicks, I enjoy travelling a lot and keep on finding stuffs which make me happy!
I mean to live happy as much as possible!
And my today’s recipe is a reflection of my happy instinct! This simple yet funky pasta recipe (pasta peperonata) had knocked me out the very first time and I am damn sure it will be loved by you all too given that it is so terribly easy!
It is perfect for those days’ dinner when you don’t want (or can’t even if you want) to prepare elaborate dinner but still want to have something which will make you happy at the end of the meal.
I love peppers! Peppers of every color and size! You will always, and I emphasize, always find peppers – red, yellow, green, orange – in my refrigerator.
For me peppers are magic ingredients – they can simultaneously add crunch, colors, and sweetness to any dish and make it gorgeous! My advice is to always have peppers handy – it can transform any simple (read ‘boring’) dish to a jazzy and most tempting item on your dinner table!
This pasta peperonata doesn’t involve any sauce – red or white – but only peppers; so it’s pretty easy for me to fall in love with it instantly!
The black olives add perfect balance of sourness and of course increase the nutrition quotient of this dish. Pasta is becoming a staple in our life and this particular recipe is here to stay for long!
Recipe adapted from: Laura in the Kitchen
- Rigatoni pasta – 200 gms (If you don't have Rigatoni, use any other short pasta like Penne, Ziti, Farfalle, Fusilli etc.)
- Red Bell Pepper – 1, cut in half, seeded and cut into strips
- Yellow Bell Pepper – 1, cut in half, seeded and cut into strips
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Olive oil – ¼ cup
- Onion – 1, large, cut into half-moon slices
- White wine or stock or water – ½ cup
- Sliced black olives – ¼ cup
- Fresh basil leaves – ¼ cup, roughly torn
- Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Cheddar – ¼ cup, freshly grated
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Fill a large pot with water, season generously with salt and bring to a boil.
- In a large skillet, add all the olive oil and garlic and preheat it over medium heat. Cook it long enough for the garlic to become fragrant and lightly golden. Make sure to add the garlic in the cold oil itself and heat both together; this will infuse the oil with fantastic garlicky flavor.
- Add the peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook them covered for about 30 to 35 minutes under low heat until they have caramelized around the edges and become soft.
- When the onions and peppers have about 10 minutes left to be completely cooked, add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package instructions, making sure to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water, drain well and set aside.
- Add the white wine/stock/water (whichever you are using) to the peppers and deglaze the skillet. Allow it to reduce for just a minute.
- Add the butter and let it melt. Now add the cooked pasta along with the olives, basil, parmesan and half of the cooking liquid.
- Allow everything to cook together over medium high heat for just a minute stirring constantly until all the liquid evaporates. Serve hot right away!
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