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Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

 
 
 
Nora and I discovered this recipe in a pasta book that we found at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco and it is one of our favorites. Be careful when pureeing sauce not to overfill food processor. You will love this.
 
1 Tbs    Olive oil  
3 oz    Pancetta, minced  
2/3 cup    Minced yellow onion  
2 cloves    Garlic, minced  
2 large    Heavy red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced  
1 cup    Chicken broth  
¼ cup    Heavy cream  
  Salt and pinch cayenne pepper  
1 lb    Fusilli or pasta of choice  
1 cup    Freshly grated parmesan cheese  
2 Tbs    Minced parsley  
 
1 Saute pancetta in olive oil in a 12" skillet over moderate heat and cook until it begins to crisp, 3-5 minutes.
2 Add onion and saute until softened.
3 Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4 Add bell pepper, broth and cream and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
5 Puree sauce in a food processor until almost smooth (a little texture is nice). Return to skillet and season with salt and cayenne to taste. Just before pasta is ready, reheat gently.
6 Cook pasta according to directions, drain and reserve some of the water.
7 Toss pasta with sauce, add 1/2 c of parmesan and toss again.
8 Add as much of reserved pasta water as needed to help sauce coat noodles nicely.
9 Serve immediately and top each serving with some of the remaining parmesan cheese and parsley.
 
 Cooking Tips
This is wonderful served with asparagus and french bread dipped in olive oil.