Pasta with peperonata
Sweet peppers and onions cooked down slowly with garlic and tomato until soft and jammy, then tossed with pasta and a little parmesan.
- 45 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.73 a serving
- 500 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz
- 12 oz gluten-free pasta, short shape; regular pasta works too
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt, plus ½ tsp
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Each serving has about 500 calories, 10 g protein, 84 g carbs and 14 g fat, and costs about $2.73 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No diced tomatoes? Crushed tomatoes work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the peppers and cut them into thin strips. the onion and slice the garlic.
Seed. Seeding means scraping out the seeds and white ribs, usually from peppers, tomatoes or squash. In hot peppers the ribs hold most of the heat, so wash your hands after and don’t touch your eyes.
How you’ll know: The inside is smooth and clean, with no seeds or white ribs left.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Heat the oil in a large over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft and sweet.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heatTimer: 18 min
Dolly’s tip: Low and slow is the whole trick. They should collapse and look silky, not crisp.While they cook, fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, cover and over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Stir the garlic into the peppers for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, oregano and vinegar and 5 minutes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Cook the pasta until , tasting 2 minutes before the package time.
Al dente. Al dente is Italian for “to the tooth”: pasta cooked until tender but with a slight firm bite in the center. It holds up in sauce and keeps softening a little after you drain it.
How you’ll know: Bite a piece a minute before the package time: tender, with a slight firm bite in the middle and no crunch.
High heatTimer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: Gluten-free pasta goes soft fast, so taste early.Scoop out 1 cup of , then the pasta.
Reserve pasta water. It means scooping out a cup of the starchy cooking water before you drain the pasta. A splash helps the sauce cling and turn silky, and it’s the step everyone forgets.
How you’ll know: A mug of cloudy water is sitting by the stove before the pasta goes into the colander.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Add the pasta to the peppers with of and until glossy.
Splash. A splash is a small, quick pour, about a teaspoon to a tablespoon. It’s there to loosen or brighten a dish, so the exact amount doesn’t matter.
How you’ll know: The dish looks a little looser or tastes a little brighter, not soupy.
Reserve pasta water. It means scooping out a cup of the starchy cooking water before you drain the pasta. A splash helps the sauce cling and turn silky, and it’s the step everyone forgets.
How you’ll know: A mug of cloudy water is sitting by the stove before the pasta goes into the colander.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium heat
Taste for salt and serve with parmesan and torn basil.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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