Spaghetti with mixed peppers

Name: Spaghetti with mixed peppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Whole wheat Spaghetti pasta 11.3 oz; Red peppers 1.3 cups; Yellow peppers 7 oz; Friggitelli (chili peppers) 2.5 oz; Jalapeno peppers 0.5 oz; Crushed red pepper 0.7 oz; Salted ricotta cheese 3.3 tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Water 3.5 oz

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 4

PRESENTATION

Spaghetti with mixed peppers is built around a four-pepper structure where each variety has a specific job. Oven-roasted red and yellow peppers form the sweet, rich base of the cream; friggitello—a small frying pepper—brings a fresh, lighter note; jalapeño adds direct, burning heat; and peperone crusco, a dried crispy southern Italian pepper, contributes an unexpected toasted depth that lifts the whole sauce. The result is a layered, colorful dish with bold flavors that range from sweet and mellow to spicy and sharp, all carried by a single creamy sauce.

That cream coats every strand of spaghetti, and grated ricotta salata—firm, salted, and aged—finishes the dish with a savory, salty push that holds its own against all that sweetness. The contrast is what makes it work: the oven-roasted peppers bring softness and depth, the jalapeño keeps things lively, and the peperone crusco adds a toasted note that you don't see coming. It holds up well as a summer dinner, where the spicy, layered pepper sauce does most of the work and the ricotta salata ties everything together at the end.

How to prepare Spaghetti with mixed peppers

To prepare the spaghetti with mixed peppers, place the yellow and red bell peppers, the jalapeño and the friggitello on a baking sheet 1 and coat them well with oil. Roast in a conventional oven at 482°F for 25/30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the seeds and stem from the peperoni cruschi and grind them in a spice grinder 2 or coffee grinder to obtain a fine powder 3.

Pass the ground mixture through a fine-mesh sieve 4 and set it aside 5. When the peppers are deeply charred, remove them from the oven and peel off the skins that have blackened during cooking 6.

Place the pepper flesh in a blender jar with the water 7, season with salt and blend with an immersion blender 8 until you get a smooth, lump-free cream 9.

Cook the whole-wheat spaghetti in salted boiling water 10, pulling them out 2 minutes before the time indicated on the package. Meanwhile transfer the pepper cream to a large skillet 11. Drain the spaghetti into the skillet 12.

Finish cooking using the pasta cooking water, adding a little at a time 13. When the spaghetti are cooked 14, turn off the heat and add the grated ricotta salata 15.

Toss with a drizzle of oil 16 and stir to combine. Serve immediately on plates with the peperone crusco powder sprinkled on top 17. The spaghetti with mixed peppers are ready to enjoy 18.

Storage

Spaghetti with mixed peppers can be stored in the refrigerator for one day.

You can prepare the pepper cream in advance and keep it in the fridge.

Tip

The heat of the jalapeño is concentrated mainly in the seeds and the white inner ribs. If you prefer a milder flavor, remove the inner part of the chili before blending it with the other ingredients.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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