Recipe
Pasta with Golden Pepper Sauce
Time: About 20-25 minutes, plus time for water to boil
Yield: 4 servings as main; 6 as first course
| 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon thyme ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 yellow bell peppers, cut into fine dice (makes 2½ cups diced pepper) ½ cup champagne, sparkling wine or white still wine |
½ cup finely diced roasted red pepper (from a jar) ¼ teaspoon saffron powder or turmeric 1/3 cup whipping cream 1 cup vegetable stock 1 pound pasta-penne rigate, rigatoni, tortiglioni or farfalle 1 tablespoon butter 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley |
Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan set on high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, and bell peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pour the champagne or wine into the pan of peppers and boil until reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the roasted red pepper, saffron or turmeric, cream, and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in the boiling water until just tender. Drain the pasta well and return to the pot.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with the chopped parsley.
Adapted from Nick Stellino's Mediterranean Flavors