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Rigatoni alla Pesto Calabrese
Rigatoni pasta tossed in a southern Italian pesto sauce consisting of roasted red peppers, ricotta, Parmesan, almonds, and crushed red pepper flakes.
servings: 4
total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
recipe by: Frankie
Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 4 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the bell peppers in half vertically and remove the seeds and stems then place the peppers cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
- Roast the peppers in the oven until the skin is charred in spots, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the peppers to a large bowl then cover the bowl to allow the peppers to steam for 15 minutes.
- Peel the skins off the peppers and discard then place the peppers into a food processor or blender along with the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, almonds, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Pulse the mixture into a paste then transfer the paste into a large bowl.
- Stir the olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper in with the paste until well combined then set aside.
- Cook the rigatoni pasta according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then toss the cooked pasta in with the pesto sauce.
- If needed, stir in some of the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time until you reach a desired consistency.
- Taste and season with additional salt & pepper if needed.
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