Pasta with Smothered Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 lb short pasta (Use a short, sauce-catching shape such as gemelli, fusilli, or cavatappi.)
• 2 lb cherry tomatoes (Whole or halved, according to size.)
• 3 sweet bell peppers (About 1 1/2 lb total; stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips.)
• 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil (Plus more for finishing if desired.)
• kosher salt (To taste, plus enough for the pasta cooking water.)
• 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (Reserve before draining; use as needed to loosen and emulsify the sauce.)
• 0.75 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (Finely grated; substitute crumbly ricotta salata if preferred.)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables. Remove the stems and seeds from the sweet peppers and cut them into strips. If the cherry tomatoes are large, halve them; smaller tomatoes may be left whole.

2. 2

   In a large Dutch oven or deep skillet, combine the tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Stir to coat the vegetables evenly.

3. 3

   Bring the vegetable mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until the tomatoes have collapsed into a jammy sauce and the peppers are very soft and creamy. Avoid frequent stirring, which can make the softened vegetables mushy.

4. 4

   While the vegetables cook, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.

5. 5

   Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta.

6. 6

   Add the drained pasta to the pot with the smothered vegetables. Pour in some of the reserved pasta water and toss vigorously until the olive oil, vegetable juices, and starchy water form a luscious sauce that coats the pasta. Add more pasta water as needed.

7. 7

   Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Serve immediately, topped with grated Pecorino Romano or crumbled ricotta salata.

Notes

The source states that the sauce cooks for 55 minutes total, with 25 minutes of active time plus cooling. Do not stir too often during the uncovered simmer. Reserve the full cup of pasta water before draining, since it is needed to finish the sauce. The exact ingredient quantities were not visible in the supplied source because the recipe is member-gated; quantities above are estimated from the dish description and typical proportions.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• vegetarian
• Italian-inspired
• one-pot sauce
• stovetop
• weeknight dinner