Jammy Pepper Pasta Salad
- Yield: 6 servings
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Mixed nuts
- 3 lb Mixed bell peppers
- 2 Red Fresno chiles
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 head Garlic, cloves separated
- 3 sprigs Thyme
- 2 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, divided
- 3 tsp Sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1/2 Red onion, thinly-sliced
- 1 lb Rigatoni
- 6 oz Ricotta salata, crumbled
- 1 cup Basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place nuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly crush.
- Cut peppers into thin strips, then in half. Slice chilies into thin rounds.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add peppers, chiles, garlic, thyme, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers begin to soften and are starting to brown, 10–15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add ½ cup vinegar. Partially cover pot and cook, stirring every 5–10 minutes, until peppers are very soft and jammy, about 35–45 minutes longer. Remove from heat and remove the thyme stems.
- Place onion, ½ tsp salt, 3 tbsp vinegar and 2 tsp sugar in a bowl and toss to combine. Let sit until ready to use.
- Cook rigatoni until al dente, drain and add to pot with the peppers. Add pickled onions and their liquid. Toss to evenly combine. Let cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, stir in the ricotta salata, toasted nuts and basil until evenly distributed.
- Serve at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from BonApetit.com