L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano I t's the beginning of O c t o b e r a n d o u r markets are full of autumnal produce, f r o m p u m p k i n s t o pears, and it's easy to forget that summer vegetables like peppers and tomatoes are still very much in season. So why not make use of them while we still can? I l i k e m a n y r e c i p e s involving peppers: stuffed peppers filled with eggplant and breadcrumbs, which are a lovely antipasto, but also peppers stuffed with meat and tuna, which can be both excellent secondi or main c o u r s e s . T h i s w e e k w e ' r e featuring a primo piatto, or first course, to round out our collection: peperoni ripieni di pasta, or pasta- stuffed peppers. In this recipe, peppers are s t u f f e d w i t h p a s t a - I a m using the long thick pasta called bucatini—dressed with a puttanesca-ish toma- t o s a u c e a n d o p t i o n a l l y enriched with bits of moz- zarella, scamorza, caciocav- allo or any meltable cheese y o u p r e f e r . T h e p e p p e r s infuse the pasta with their sweet yet piquant aroma, transforming an otherwise typical Neapolitan pasta into something quite unique. Of course, you could use canned tomatoes and green- h o u s e p e p p e r s a n d m a k e this dish any time of year, b u t i t ' s a t i t s b e s t w h e n made with seasonal ingredi- ents, so do give this a try … while you still can! Ingredients (Serves 6) 12 bell peppers For the filling: 500g (1 lb) bucatini or other pasta (see Notes) 5 0 0 g ( 1 l b ) f r e s h p l u m tomatoes, roughly chopped, o r 1 l a r g e c a n o f c a n n e d tomatoes, or a jar of passata di pomodoro 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed FRANK FARIELLO A b a l l o f m o z z a r e l l a , scamorza, caciocavallo or other meltable cheese, cut into cubes Grated parmigiano-reg- giano or pecorino romano, for topping Directions Trim off the tops of the p e p p e r s a n d r e m o v e t h e core, seeds and ribs from their insides. Parboil the peppers in abundant water for about 5-6 minutes, long enough to soften them a bit. T h e y s h o u l d r e m a i n f i r m e n o u g h , h o w e v e r , t o s t a y standing. In a large sauté pan, sauté the garlic briefly in olive oil, then add the tomatoes. Sim- mer until the tomatoes have m e l t e d a n d r e d u c e d t o a sauce consistency, about 15 minutes or so. Then add the o l i v e s a n d c a p e r s a n d l e t t h e m s i m m e r a n o t h e r 5 minutes. Turn off the heat a n d f o l d i n t h e o r e g a n o , parsley and anchovy fillets. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in well-salted water until ever so slightly underdone, say a minute less than indi- cated on the package. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, the tomato sauce and mix well. Using tongs or a carving fork, twirl the pasta and fill the peppers with it, inter- spersing the pasta strands with bits of the mozzarella and/or eggplant, if using. Top with any excess sauce a n d , i f u s i n g , t h e g r a t e d cheese. Transfer the peppers to a well-greased baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven at 1 8 0 C / 3 5 0 F f o r a b o u t 3 0 m i n u t e s , u n t i l h e a t e d through and lightly browned on top. L e t c o o l f o r a t l e a s t 5 minutes or so before serv- ing. Notes I generally don't skin or pre-cook my peppers before filling them. But for peper- oni ripieni di pasta, a quick parboil to soften them a bit makes sense, as that means less time in the oven, which in turn makes it less likely you'll overcook the pasta. (By the way, some recipes suggest parboiling will make the peppers peelable as well, but that wasn't the case for me). Some recipes call for pre-roasting the peppers in a moderate oven for 15-30 minutes, yet others for fry- ing them. Usually, I prefer stuffing my peppers open-faced, and that's mostly true, but I felt like a change. And in fact, I think when you're stuffing peppers with pasta, you're b e t t e r o f f s t u f f i n g t h e m standing up. This way, the pepper provides more pro- tection against the oven's intense heat and helps pre- vent the pasta from over- c o o k i n g . D o t a k e c a r e , though, to find peppers that will stand up on their own. Often, at least one of their " l e g s " t e n d s t o b e l o n g e r than another, leaving the pepper liable to keel over, spilling out your lovely pasta filling. No harm done, of course, even if it does. The dish will still taste delicious. B u t n o t e x a c t l y w h a t y o u might want to serve your guests at a dinner party. Frank is a lawyer with a t r u e p a s s i o n f o r c o o k i n g and sharing food with the people he loves. He inherit- ed his love for Italian cui- sine and culinary tradition f r o m h i s g r a n d m o t h e r , nonna Angelina, to whom he dedicated his culinary blog, Memorie di Angelina: www.memoriediangelina.c om Red peppers stuffed with pasta, an interesting take on a traditional dish (Photo: Olga Lepeshkina/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Pasta-stuffed peppers: unusual and delicious 100g (3-1/2 oz) capers, rinsed 100g (3-1/2 oz) olives 100g (3-1/2 oz) anchovy fillets, cut up A pinch of dried oregano A few sprigs of fresh pars- ley, finely minced Salt and pepper For baking: olive oil Optional: 5 0 0 g ( 1 l b ) e g g p l a n t , c u b e d a n d s a u t é e d " a funghetto"

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