Penne with Red Pepper Pesto (Pesto Calabrese)

Name: Penne with Red Pepper Pesto (Pesto Calabrese)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 , red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (5 cups); 3 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil; , Salt and pepper; 1 , small onion, chopped; 1 , plum tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped; 1/3 cup, chopped fresh basil; 1/2-3/4 teaspoon, red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon, garlic, minced to paste; 1/2 cup whole-milk, ricotta cheese; 1/4 cup, grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving; 1 teaspoon, white wine vinegar; 1 pound, penne

28 comments

Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 2016

SERVES4

TIME1 hour

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Pesto alla calabrese trades the familiar basil–pine nut base of the Genovese style for ricotta, Parmesan, and a combination of sweet and hot peppers. For complex flavor, we used cooked red bell peppers, sautéing them—first covered to soften...

This is a members' feature.