Sauce of Green Olives and Roasted Red Peppers
- 1 pound jar roasted red peppers in brine or fresh roasted peppers
- 1 1/2 cups flavorful green or black olives, pitted
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 7 or 8 plump garlic cloves, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes)
- Hot water from the pasta-cooking pot
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
- Drain the roasted peppers, reserving 1/3 cup of the brine.
- Slice them crosswise into thin strips, about 1/8 inch wide and 3 inches long.
- Puree the olives in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the olive oil, pulsing them to a paste; scrape into a small dish.
- Plunge the pasta into the boiling water 5 minutes before you start the sauce.
- Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a big skillet, scatter the garlic slices in the oil, and set over medium heat.
- Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the garlic is just sizzling.
- Drop the peperoncino into a hot spot; let it toast for a minute, then stir it in with the garlic.
- Scrape the olive paste onto a hot spot.
- Spread it out, let it cook for a minute to caramelize lightly, then stir in with the garlic around the pan.
- Drop the roasted pepper strips in the center, spread them out, and let them start to sizzle and fry, about a minute.
- Spill the reserved pepper brine into the skillet, stir everything together, raise the heat slightly, and bring the brine to boiling.
- Let it bubble and evaporate, shaking the pan and stirring until the brine is gone and the vegetables start to sizzle and caramelize once again.
- Ladle in 3 cups of boiling pasta water.
- Stir and cook the skillet sauce rapidly for 3 or 4 minutes (while the pasta is cooking).
- Reduce the liquid by a third or so, then taste the sauce and add salt as needed.
- Keep at a low simmer until the pasta is ready.
- When the pasta is done almost al dente, scoop it up and into the skillet to finish cooking, adjusting with more pasta water or reducing the liquid as necessary.
- Add the parsley during the initial tossing; off the heat, toss in the cheese and a tablespoon of olive oil just before serving.
- Campanelle
- Lumache
- Rigatini
- Radiatori
red peppers, flavorful green, extravirgin olive oil, garlic, peperoncino, water, salt, fresh italian parsley
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sauce-of-green-olives-and-roasted-red-peppers-384427 (may not work)