Penne with peppers

Penne with peppers is a simple and tasty dish. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 350 g of penne pasta
  • 2 bell peppers (preferably of different colors, for example one red and one yellow, to make the dish more colorful)
  • 1 medium white onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • (Optional) Chili pepper, basil or fresh parsley, according to taste

Preparation

  1. Wash the peppers, remove the stem, inner membranes, and seeds, then cut them into strips or cubes.
  2. Peel the onion and garlic and slice them finely.
  3. In a pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic and onion, letting them sauté until they become translucent.
  4. Add the peppers to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they soften. If desired, you can add some chili pepper for a spicy touch.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente according to the instructions on the package.
  6. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the peppers.
  7. Toss the pasta with the peppers for a couple of minutes, making sure the flavors blend well.
  8. Season with salt and pepper and, if you wish, add torn basil or fresh parsley.
  9. Serve hot.

Curiosity

In Italy, customizing dishes is very common and everyone has their own preferred variant of each recipe. With penne with peppers, for example, some love to add tomato sauce for a moister and richer version, or others prefer to add olives for an extra touch of savoriness. Another ingredient that is often added to this dish is salted ricotta, to give creaminess and depth of flavor.

Penne ai peperoni