There are just too many kinds of pasta in the world for me to keep track of all their names.
We keep like 20 bags on hand at all times, and in all different shapes. But I can’t tell you what they’re called.
Why do two people need 20 bags of pasta?
You know, just in case the world ends and we get hungry.
My only gripe is that the batch wasn’t big enough. It coated the pasta, yes, but just barely. I would have preferred for the pasta to be more like…drenched in the sauce.
I know, I should have just made less pasta. I didn’t want less pasta, though. I wanted more sauce.
Next time, I am so doubling the recipe.
I’ll also be doubling the fresh basil. That stuff seriously lasts three minutes in the fridge before wilting. Why didn’t I learn this the last time I bought fresh basil?
Clearly, you are supposed to use it up in about one meal. It’s the perfect addition to this pasta dish, though, so even if you don’t have quick-wilting basil, go ahead and throw in some extra.
Nothing like little flecks of green to make your pasta seem all grown up.
Roasted red pepper sauce with fusili
Adapted from Leah Schapira’s Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking
Yield: Enough sauce to gently coat one package of pasta
Ingredients
- 3 large red peppers
- cooking spray
- olive or canola oil, to brush on peppers and saute onion
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp shredded mozzarella (or grated parmesan)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 box fusili (or other pasta of your choice)
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F/200 C. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. Slice peppers in half, discard seeds, stem, and pith, and place face-down on the baking sheet. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast peppers until they start to blacken, at least 30 minutes.
3. Remove peppers from the oven and use tongs to transfer them to a sealed container/brown paper bag. Set aside to let them “sweat.”
4. In the meantime, saute onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent. Over another burner, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add milk. (If you are doubling the recipe, use a medium saucepan.) Heat through, then cover with a lid and turn off the heat.
5. Remove peppers from their sweating place and peel off the skins. (If you leave them on, you’ll end up with those bits of rolled-up pepper skin in your sauce. Meh.)
6. Cook pasta according to package directions.
7. As the pasta cooks, fit your food processor with the metal blade and blend peppers until smooth. Add sauteed onion and garlic and process for another few seconds. Transfer pepper mixture to the saucepan and mix into the milk/butter over low heat until fully incorporated. Add cheese and season with salt and pepper as needed.
8. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Pour sauce over it and mix until pasta is evenly coated. Add chopped basil and mix one last time. Serve hot.