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close up of a bowl of pasta with red and yellow pepper sauce

Easy Pasta Peperonata


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5 from 7 reviews

Description

This easy Pasta Peperonata is tossed with a rich and sweet sauce made with sautéed peppers, onions, tomato, anchovies, and capers. All that’s left to do is top it off with fresh Parmesan and serve with crusty bread for a hearty and delicious 25-minute weeknight meal.


Ingredients

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more for pasta water, divided

8 ounces dry pasta, such as linguini, regular or chickpea (see note)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 anchovy filets, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Generous pinch crushed red pepper

2 red bell peppers, sliced

2 yellow bell peppers, sliced

1 large sweet onion, French cut

1 cup canned tomato puree

1 tablespoon capers

Chopped Italian parsley and shredded Parmigiano Reggiano for serving


Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente. Drain well.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add anchovy, garlic and crushed red pepper and stir until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. 
  3. Add red and yellow peppers, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the peppers and onion start to brown, 14 to 16 minutes. 
  4. Stir in tomato puree and capers and bring to simmer. Cover the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, removing lid to stir occasionally, until the peppers are very tender, about 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in the drained pasta and stir to combine over low heat. Divide among four plates and serve garnished with Parmigiano cheese and parsley on top.

Notes

Ingredient Note:

If you do not like anchovies or are vegetarian you can omit them. Simply taste and add additional salt if desired. 

Chickpea Pasta:

We love using chickpea pasta for added protein in this mostly meatless meal. We do not recommend the spaghetti or linguine shape though and prefer penne instead.

Make-Ahead:

The anchovies in this get a little funky on the second day so if you are planning to make enough for leftovers, omit the anchovies.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Active Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 servings
  • Calories: 430
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Carbohydrates: 62 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 11 g
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