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

Basil and pine nuts get the boot in this creamy-spicy pesto from southern Italy.

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.