Pasta con Peperoni
Cruschi
Pasta with crisp sweet peppers and breadcrumbs
Short pasta catches garlic-scented olive oil, toasted breadcrumbs and brittle pieces of sweet dried pepper, finished with a little cacioricotta.
Strascinati, crisp peppers & golden crumbsSweet red peppers,
crisp against tender pasta.
Peperoni cruschi are dried sweet peppers briefly fried until crisp. They give this Basilicatan pasta its deep red flecks, delicate crunch and rounded pepper flavor. The peppers are sweet rather than fiery, and their thin skins can scorch quickly.
In this strascinati version, toasted bread crumbs and grated cacioricotta cling to the pasta with garlic-scented oil. Other Lucanian preparations use different pasta shapes or add anchovies. The recipe below keeps to the pepper, bread and cheese combination, adding most of the crisp pieces just before serving.
Explore by food: Pasta · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make pasta con peperoni cruschi.
Four first-course portions using purchased dried strascinati and whole dried sweet Senise peppers, which are fried just before serving.
Four first-course portions.
What you’ll need
- 320 gdried strascinati
- 25 gwhole dried sweet Senise peppers (about 8–10), stems and seeds removed
- 80 gcoarse fresh breadcrumbs from day-old bread
- 6 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 2garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
- 60 gcacioricotta, finely grated
- 3 lwater for the pasta
- to tastesalt
Use sweet dried peppers sold for this preparation, rather than hot dried chilies. If they are sold already fried and crisp, skip frying them and warm the garlic in the oil on its own. Keep the larger pepper pieces dry until the last moment. Purchased pasta keeps hand-shaping outside this recipe.
How to make it
- 01
Prepare the peppers
Wipe the dried peppers with a dry cloth; keep them dry. Remove the stems and seeds and leave them in large pieces. Bring the pasta water to a boil in a large pot.
- 02
Crisp briefly
Warm the oil and garlic in a wide frying pan over low heat for about 3–4 minutes. Remove the garlic once fragrant and pale gold. Add the peppers in two batches and turn continuously for roughly 10–20 seconds per batch, just until puffed and slightly darker. Lift onto a plate immediately; they become crisp as they cool. Do not let them turn black.
- 03
Toast the crumbs
Spoon 2 tbsp of the pepper-scented oil into a second frying pan. Add the crumbs and stir over medium-low heat for about 4–5 minutes until golden. Remove from the heat. Leave the remaining flavored oil in the first pan.
- 04
Cook the pasta
Salt the boiling water and cook the strascinati until just al dente, following the package timing. Before draining, reserve 150 ml cooking water. Break the cooled peppers into irregular shards and crumbs.
- 05
Dress and finish
Warm the first pan gently. Add the drained pasta and about 50 ml reserved water, tossing for 1 minute; add a little more water only if dry. Take off the heat and fold in the cheese, half the crumbs and a third of the peppers. Divide among four plates and scatter over the remaining crumbs and peppers. Serve straight away.
More to discover…
PrimiAcquacotta
Slow-cooked onions, celery and tomatoes make a savory broth, served over toasted bread with an egg and grated pecorino.
PrimiAgnolotti del Plin
Small pinched pasta parcels hold a fine filling of braised veal, pork and spinach, dressed simply with butter and sage.
AntipastiAntipasto Misto
Cured meats, cheeses, olives and preserved vegetables make a shared Italian starter, with bread for assembling small bites.