Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni… I was craving a red pepper sauce but also a carbonara, so I took the idea and ran with it. Before you come for my head, I am NOT claiming it is carbonara in any way, shape or form ok? OK? ok...I simply took my favorite elements of it and infused them into my classic roasted red pepper pasta. I will be a heretic here, but I will say that I am not crazy about guanciale, at least not the guanciale I can find in town. I tried it in Italy last year and it was a game changer, but here? I much prefer pancetta.
Prep 10 minutesmins
Cook 35 minutesmins
Total 45 minutesmins
Ingredients
3red bell peppersmedium/large
1fresno pepper
4ozpancettathinly sliced
2tbspolive oiland more for rubbing on the peppers
1shallotlarge and brunoise
1clovegarliclarge
1tbsptamari or soy sauce
1/2tbspfish sauce
1egg
1/2cupparmigianograted and more for topping
Salt and pepperto taste
6basil leavesand more for topping
8ozmezzi rigatoni
Instructions
First, rub oil onto the bell peppers and Fresno. Broil until black on all sides. Then, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
Secondly, peel and remove the seeds. Blend with the basil.
In a cold pan, add the pancetta and turn heat to medium high for 2 minutes. Lower to med low and let it render and crisp up.
Remove from the pan and add olive oil, the shallots and garlic clove. Cook on medium until translucent and remove garlic.
Add in 3/4 of the pepper paste (reserve some because it makes a bit too much). Add in fish sauce and Tamari.
Boil your pasta in salted water until almost al dente.
Whisk the egg into the parmesan and temper by adding 1/4 cup of pasta water.
Add the pasta to the sauce with some pasta water and cook for 2 minutes until it becomes glossy.
Turn heat off and add the parmesan egg and mix until fully incorporated. Test and add salt if needed at this point.
Lastly, serve with the pancetta, parmesan and basil.