I’m lucky to have a mother who has always been great at the stove and still spoils us with amazing dishes, especially those tied to the Abruzzo tradition.
Among her many signature dishes is the sauce, not only the classic one but also the pepper sauce.
It has a color between red and orange, an intoxicating aroma and a taste so delicate yet at the same time enveloping that it truly wins you over at the first spoonful!
You should know that Mom Morena’s pepper sauce is so good I eat it by the spoonful, even without pasta, straight from the pot!
And that’s why I published the recipe for these pennette with creamy pepper sauce.
Because from the first day my mom made this dish I fell in love with it and have kept making it over the years.
It’s perfect if you don’t have the time or desire for long, complex preparations. So simple it practically makes itself!
Great for a quick lunch or for a dinner with friends when you want to impress with minimal effort!
And do you know the best part? If you don’t like cream you can substitute it and still get a super creamy, velvety pasta (read to the end).
Before we go through the recipe together, here are a few more tasty ideas.. the watchword is simplicity!
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 11 Hours 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups penne rigate (or any pasta you prefer)
- 6 bell peppers (yellow and red, not green)
- 1 jar cooking cream (about 200 ml (about 3/4 cup) or liquid fresh cream)
- Half onion
- 2 oz pancetta (those who don't like it can omit it)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp milk (half a small glass of water — about 100 g (~3.4 fl oz) of milk)
- grated Parmesan
- olive oil (1 tablespoon per person)
Tools
- Saucepan
- Frying pan
- Cutting board
- Ladle
- Spatula
Steps
Prepare a soffritto with the finely chopped onion and diced speck. Add olive oil and let it soften. Then add the peppers after washing, cleaning and removing the seeds from inside.
Cut them into strips and cook slowly until the peppers fall apart. Then take an immersion blender and puree everything, including the cooking liquid.
Pass this cream through a food mill to remove any pepper skins (this isn’t essential so don’t do it if they don’t bother you 😉).
Put your pepper cream into a saucepan and add one jar of cooking cream. Pour in the milk as well and stir.
Adjust the amount of cream to your preference. If you want a pinkish cream you’ll need two packages; otherwise use just one.
Finally add the butter and grated Parmesan. Mix and your pasta sauce is ready!
All that’s left is to boil the pasta you prefer (I used pennette but you can choose your favorite!).
Drain the pasta al dente directly into the saucepan and toss to combine.
Plate, add a little more Parmesan and serve this super creamy, fragrant pasta immediately!
Read my tips at the end on how to store this sauce if you want to make a larger batch.
I hope I’ve made you want to try one of my favorite first-course dishes! Let me know in the comments and come back soon!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
⚠️❄️🌡️✅ STORAGE TIPS:
Can I make the pepper cream in advance?
Certainly! Pepper sauce keeps very well in the refrigerator for ABOUT 2-3 days, in an airtight jar. Just heat it gently in a pan with a ladle of cooking water before tossing with the pasta.
Can the pepper cream be frozen?
Yes! You can make it in large quantities when peppers are in season and freeze it in portions. It will be your lifesaver in winter when you want a ray of sunshine on your plate.
⚠️⏰ NOTE: IF YOU DECIDE TO PREPARE THE SAUCE AND STORE IT IN THE FREEZER DO NOT ADD EITHER MILK OR CREAM. THEY SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE SAUCE ONLY AT THE TIME OF CONSUMPTION.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which pasta shape is best to use?
Penne are a classic because the tube holds the cream, but this sauce is divine also with rigatoni, fusilli or, if you prefer long pasta, with thick spaghettoni.
How to make the pepper cream more digestible?
The secret is to remove the skin! If you have a sensitive stomach, you can roast the peppers in the oven or in the air fryer for 20 minutes, seal them in a paper bag to “soften” them (thanks to the humidity) and then peel them easily before blending.
How can I substitute the cream?
For a lighter version ricotta is definitely the most suitable choice or a spreadable cheese, like robiola (even light). If you like, you can also use stracchino, crescenza or mascarpone.
Milk + starch: dissolve a teaspoon of potato starch in half a glass of milk and add it to the peppers in the pan; it will thicken everything in an instant.
If you want a vegan version, try blending the peppers with a handful of peeled almonds or soaked cashews.Cooking cream or fresh cream: what’s the difference?
Here are the main differences to help you choose the result you prefer.
1) Fresh liquid cream (the one from the refrigerated section):
✅ It’s a “live” product, pasteurized at low temperatures. It’s very fluid and has a sweet, pure milk flavor.
Why choose it: for superior quality. In cooking it tends to reduce and thicken slowly, wrapping the pasta in a silky way without ever feeling “heavy”.
2) Cooking cream (the long-life one):
✅ It’s an UHT product, often thickened with stabilizers (like locust bean gum) to make it dense and viscous as soon as opened.
Why choose it: it’s practical because it can be stored outside the fridge for months. It’s ideal if you want a very dense, instant “set” cream, but it has a slightly more neutral and less aromatic flavor compared to the fresh one.Can I use fresh liquid cream instead of cooking cream?
Of course you can!! In fact, I’ll tell you more: fresh liquid cream (the one from the refrigerated section used for desserts, NOT SWEETENED) is of superior quality and has a more neutral flavor.
The only thing to watch is the consistency because fresh cream is more fluid.
Pour it into the pan and let it reduce for an extra minute together with the pepper cream before adding the pasta, this way you’ll get the same thickness as cooking cream.
