smoky roasted red pepper pasta with whipped ricotta
Just a warning: this is Pasta Week. I regret nothing.
I for awhile bore a flawed perspective of pasta once the Chicago Marathon passed. While at the time I enjoyed my veggie-laden bolognese, I wasn’t keen on experimenting with other flavor profiles (and deemed that I couldn’t, either, due to my athletic approach to eating). I declared pasta as my least favorite carb source. I basically went on full-throttle noodle rebellion.
Well, no more. Pasta mama is back.
I started with Roasted Butternut Alla Vodka and Cheese Stuffed Shells and now we’re twisting vodka sauce with a smoky, blazing scarlet riff a la roasted red peppers. Toss on some whipped ricotta and man, we’ve got ourselves a Tuesday supper to enjoy. This smart dish works for busy weeknights and casual, slow weekends.
Winner, winner, vodka dinner?
Broiled It!
Five stars if you recognized that reference.
If you want an extra fresh flavor about your sauce, and have the time, I really suggest you roast the red peppers yourself. Basically, broil until they’re black as the deepest chasms of hell and the remaining red as blinding as the flames shooting from the cavernous volcanoes wrought by Hades.
If you have an open flame or gas range, that’s rad, but I don’t, so I broil my peppers for 15-20 minutes on an unlined baking sheet, flipping a few times to ensure all sides get nice and charred. Set the peppers in a bowl and loosely cover with plastic until they’re cooled enough to handle, then peel off the skins. Your peeling job needn’t be perfect, but the bulk of the skin should be removed.
Whether you roasted your own peppers or not, next step is to quickly puree them in a food processor. If you used a jar of red peppers, drain out the excess liquid first, then add to the processor and whip until creamy.
Show Me Some Noods
We start out this pasta party with…pasta. Innovative.
I chose rigatoni as my noodle mostly because I hadn’t bought it in awhile and the fat tubes are among my favorite cut. I recommend a short cut pasta for the intense absorption possibilities: orecchiette, penne, even macaroni, or gigli since little curly trumpets are always fun.
Boil off the past according to the package directions. I always go al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
Then, the sawce. Saute onion in a couple tablespoons of oil, then garlic, fresh oregano, smoked paprika (smoked is key here, else I couldn’t call this “smoky”), and red pepper flakes. Swirl in tomato paste, then dump in the vodka and reduce by half, stirring to incorporate the aromatics and scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spoon to release those tasty crispy bits.
Pour in the apple cider vinegar, butter, and coconut milk. Simmer gently for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook another 5 minutes or so.
Throw all that pasta into the skillet and fold the sauce over, around, and atop. If the sauce gets too thick, drizzle in a bit of the pasta water to thin.
To finish this shit up, whirl some ricotta cheese in the food processor until very smooth and silky. Portion the pasta into bowls, stop with some fresh basil or oregano, and a few dollops of ricotta.
What I’d pair with this? A bubbly rosé wine, a big mixed green salad with olives and artichokes and a light lemony vinaigrette, garlicky roasted baby broccoli, and for dessert a slice of decadent Triple Layer Chocolate Explosion Cake. Mmmm.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 3 red peppers *see note
- 1 lb short-cut pasta, such as rigatoni
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk, or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups kale, roughly torn
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
Instructions
- Turn broiler to high. Set the red peppers on a baking sheet and broil for 15-20 minutes, turning 3-4 times, until all sides are charred and blackened. Set in a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap to "sweat" the peppers. When cool enough to handle (about 15 minutes for me, maybe longer for those who aren't dragons), peel off the skin and set in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Saute the onion until translucent and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes for an additional minute. Swirl in the tomato paste.
- Pour the vodka into the pan and reduce for about 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any charred bits. Stir in the cider vinegar, butter, and coconut milk or heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and heat, covered, 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the parmesan and kale until the cheese melts and the kale wilts, about 5 minutes longer.
- Toss the pasta in with the sauce, adding pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Dump the ricotta into a food processor and whip until very creamy and smooth.
- Serve pasta with fresh herbs and a generous dollop of whipped ricotta.
