Spaghetti with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce is a delightful departure from the usual tomato-based pasta sauces, offering a creamy and flavorful alternative that’s surprisingly easy to prepare. This recipe, originating from Joie Warner’s Spaghetti cookbook, promises to tantalize your taste buds with its harmonious blend of sweet red peppers, garlic, onions, and aromatic herbs. With a cook time of just 30 minutes and prep time of 10 minutes, you can have this delectable dish on the table in under an hour, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknights or leisurely summer evenings.
To begin crafting this culinary masterpiece, you’ll need a few simple ingredients, including extra virgin olive oil, butter, garlic, red onion, salt, fresh ground pepper, spaghetti, fresh basil, parsley, lemon, and Parmesan cheese. These components come together to create a symphony of flavors that will elevate your pasta experience to new heights.
Start by heating a combination of extra virgin olive oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil and butter are shimmering, add minced garlic, finely chopped red onion, and sweet red peppers, allowing them to sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until tender and fragrant. This initial cooking process helps to coax out the natural sweetness of the peppers and develop the savory base of the sauce.
Next, pour in a splash of vegetable stock and season the mixture with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and let the vegetables cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft and tender. This gentle simmer allows the flavors to meld together, creating a luscious sauce that’s bursting with savory goodness.
Once the vegetables have reached the desired level of tenderness, it’s time to transform them into a velvety sauce. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth and creamy. Return the sauce to the skillet and let it simmer gently for an additional 8 minutes, or until it has thickened to your liking. This step ensures that the sauce coats the spaghetti beautifully, providing a luxurious texture that clings to every strand.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions until it’s al dente—firm to the bite yet tender. Once cooked, drain the pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with the simmering sauce, tossing gently to coat each strand in the luscious red pepper goodness.
To enhance the dish’s flavor profile, sprinkle freshly chopped basil over the pasta and toss it for a minute to allow the fragrant herb to infuse its essence into the dish. For a citrusy zing, zest a lemon over the pasta before serving, imparting a bright and refreshing note that balances the richness of the sauce.
Finally, transfer the spaghetti with sweet red pepper sauce to a large serving bowl and garnish with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. Place a pepper mill on the table so that diners can add an extra dash of freshly ground pepper to their liking, further elevating the dish’s complexity of flavors.
With its vibrant colors, enticing aroma, and irresistible taste, Spaghetti with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce is sure to become a favorite in your culinary repertoire. Whether enjoyed as a comforting weeknight meal or served at a festive gathering with friends and family, this dish offers a tantalizing fusion of flavors that will leave everyone craving seconds. So gather your ingredients, unleash your inner chef, and prepare to embark on a culinary journey that’s as satisfying as it is delicious. Buon appetito!
