This pasta dish reminds me a bit of a puttanesca sauce. It has the sweet and savory taste of tomato and garlic and the briny flavor of olives, minus the capers-- an ingredient that I just can't get behind. I also added a splash of white wine, which is one of my favorite ways to add flavor to a simple pasta sauce. Red bell peppers add nice sweetness and the key ingredient here-- spicy picante green olives (Dellalo brand from my grocery's deli department)-- give the pasta some great heat. Topped with mini mozzarella pearls, it's a complete meal full of bold flavors.
This dish is super easy to make, it's a one skillet dinner, and it made my husband very happy. I know a meal is good when we fight over who gets to take the leftovers for lunch.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. dry rotini (or any other short cut pasta)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, ribs removed
- 1 Tbs. olive oil, divided
- 1/2 Tbs. butter
- 1/2 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
- 1/3 cup picante green olives, pitted and thinly sliced
- 8-10 basil leaves, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.
To roast bell peppers: Preheat the broiler. Flatten pepper pieces skin side up onto a foil-lined metal baking sheet. Broil until skin is blackened and blistered. Transfer peppers immediately to a medium sized bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside and let peppers cool, about 10-15 minutes. Peel the skin from the outside of each pepper and discard the skins. Dice peppers into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a large skillet, heat 1/2 Tbs. olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute-- stirring often-- for 10 minutes until softened, but not browned. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 8-10 minutes, until tomatoes soften and begin to break down. Pour in reserved pasta water as needed if the pan mixture becomes dry.
Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in olives and peppers, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and toss with pasta and basil. Serve warm, topping with mozzarella.
yummm i love pepper on pasta and fresh mozzarella! xo jillian - cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteMe too!!
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