Spaghetti with bell pepper cream, capers, and anchovies, a true delight for dressing pasta and spreading on toasted bread. It may seem like a very difficult dish to prepare, but in reality, it is really easy and convenient. Convenient because it can be frozen and used a bit like pesto, ready with 60 seconds in the microwave to defrost and it’s ready to dress the pasta.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 382.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 39.96 (g) of which sugars 13.68 (g)
- Proteins 9.67 (g)
- Fat 20.92 (g) of which saturated 2.97 (g)of which unsaturated 0.87 (g)
- Fibers 7.19 (g)
- Sodium 2,052.61 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 290 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients to prepare the spaghetti
- 2 bell peppers (roasted)
- 160 g spaghetti
- 1 tsp capers
- 2 fillets anchovies in oil
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs basil
- 2 tbsp water
Tools to prepare the spaghetti with bell pepper cream
- Chopper
Steps to prepare the spaghetti
Usually, when I need to grill bell peppers, I don’t cook just a few at a time, but I make plenty and then use them in various dishes. Sometimes I clean them and, after drying them, freeze them in plastic bags to use in moments of laziness or when there is little time to cook.
After washing and drying them, cook the bell peppers in the oven under the grill for 30 minutes at 392°F, turning them often.
Once ready, place them in an airtight container, or in a paper bread bag; this will make it very easy to peel them when it comes time to clean them.
Put the ingredients in the chopper: the peeled bell peppers, the anchovies with the desalinated capers, the basil with the oil, the sun-dried tomatoes with the extra virgin olive oil, the water, and a few sprigs of thyme.
Start the chopper for a few seconds, stop and repeat two more times; this will prevent heating the blades and consequently the bell pepper cream. For this reason, you can replace the water with ice.
Cook the spaghetti al dente and toss with the bell pepper cream and, if needed, a tablespoon of hot pasta water. Serve the spaghetti with bell pepper cream and fresh thyme leaves.
