I love being able to throw together a delicious meal with things that I have on hand...recipes with special ingredients that I don't have in the pantry drive me nuts, especially when I'm hungry. This dish was born out of that frustration (or inspiration, if you will). It's a flexible dish, meaning that if you don't have a green pepper on hand, then omit it. Just use one red pepper. Or you can use a jar of roasted red peppers instead. Or you might want to add some more pepperoni (sometimes I do). I think I've perfected it now, but if you try it and find something else to add that makes it even better, please let me know!
Pepper Pasta
(Courtesy of Kelly Oliver)
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1/2 t. fennel, crushed
1 red pepper, chopped into medium pieces
1 green pepper, chopped into medium pieces
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped into small pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
20-25 thin slices of pepperoni (I use a pre-sliced brand), cut in halves
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
fun-shaped pasta (fusilli, farfalle, penne, rotini, etc.), about a half a box
parmesan cheese, to taste
Method:
Cook pasta according to package directions. At the same time in a separate pot, heat 2 T. olive oil, adding crushed fennel. Heat 1-2 minutes. Add onion, red and green peppers, and saute 5-7 minutes or until softened. (You may need to add more olive oil for sauteing the vegetables.)
Add diced tomatoes, pepperoni, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, pepper and salt. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Stir cooked pasta into the sauce, mixing well. (If you prefer having a saucier version, you might want to add another half of a can of diced tomatoes.)
Serve and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
