When I make Fire Roasted Red Peppers, I reserve an extra pepper for use in other recipes. One such recipe is Roasted Red Pepper Pasta. I purée the peppers with eggs, add some water, and then mix with flour to make a colorful, flavorful pasta.
Ingredients for 1 pound of pasta:
- 1 large roasted red pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup luke warm water
- 3 cups flour (00 or All Purpose)
The Steps
01
Roast the peppers (See recipe in the link above).
02
After roasting, the peppers, run them under cool water to remove the char and skin. Remove the core, seeds, and skin and pat dry. Cut into strips, as shown below.
03
Add the strips of pepper to a blender or food processor. Likewise, add in eggs and water and blend.
04
Next, add the purée to 3 cups of flour and mix thoroughly to form a dough.
05
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
I like to choose different shapes for the pasta, so I often make pappardelle with half the dough, and fettuccine with the other half.
06
Roll out the dough to your desired thickness, or run through a pasta machine.
07
There are many ways to cut pasta. You can cut by hand, overlapping the sheets of dough and cutting to your desired thickness.
Similarly, there are tools that will cut the pasta, like the small rolling pin below. Ultimately, a hand cranked pasta machine is not only a time saver, but cuts the pasta uniformly. I choose my tool based on how much time I have to get the job done.
08
There are a number of ways to dry pasta. I purchased an expandable window screen (above), at the hardware store, that does the trick quite well. It allows for air flow above and beneath the drying pasta. Another method is to hang the pasta on a long dowel, or in this case the rolling pin.
09
Once the dough is mostly dry, but still pliable, package in ziploc bags and freeze for use another day. If you plan to use the pasta within a day or so, refrigerate it.
Red Pepper Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients:
- Fresh pasta – 1 pound
- 1/2-3/4 cup pasta water, reserved
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
01
- Boil 6 cups of water in a stock pot.
- Add 3 tablespoons of salt to the pot and stir.
- Drop the pasta into the boiling water.
- Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes.
02
Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, add 1/2 cup of hot pasta water to a large serving bowl. Add in the crushed black pepper and mix with 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Stir briskly until the mixture forms a thick paste. If watery, add in more cheese until you have a thick consistency.
03
Remove the pasta from the water with tongs and add to the serving bowl. Toss with the cheese and pasta, turning the pasta until the cheese melts and the pasta is creamy. If too dry, add in more hot pasta water and continue to stir until all is absorbed and it reaches the desired creaminess.
First, any fresh pasta is a gift from the gods, so any opportunity to make or eat fresh pasta should be done with gusto. The red pepper flavor is subtle, but adds a nice warmth to the dish. Cacio e Pepe is my favorite way to serve red pepper pasta, although there are many options when it comes to sauce.
Variations:
01 Instead of Cacio e Pepe, heat some olive oil in a sauté pan. Add in 3 to 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic to the pan. Sauté on medium heat, turning the garlic so it browns evenly on both sides. Be carful not to burn the garlic as it will become bitter. Add in the cooked pasta and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with freshly chopped Italian parsley.
Note: The above method is called Aglio e Olio and is not usually served with cheese. If you prefer to add cheese, you can grate some Parmigiano Reggiano or some Pecorino Romano and add as the final step before serving.
02 Heat oil in a sauté pan. Core and seed a red pepper. Slice into thin strips. Add to the sauté pan and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix with the red pepper pasta and top with Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano to taste.
As always, savor the moments!! Enjoy!
