This is another family favorite (along with Broccoli Pasta) from The Italian Pantry by Anna Del Conte, which your Uncle Bob gave me if I remember correctly (it was more than 20 years ago). There's something about baking pasta that kicks it up another notch, as Emeril would say, with the ultimate example being the famous Timpano from "Big Night." This one doesn't come up to that exalted level, but it has definitely stood the test of time. It's a good winter dish served warm out of the oven, but I actually like to make it best in the summer, since that's when I can get plenty of beautiful local peppers at the City Market.
The instructions look a little daunting, but half of them are about how to roast peppers. Like most recipes, this one said to roast the peppers whole, but I think it's quicker and easier to roast them this way, which I first saw in the original version of The Best Recipe. You can see the roasting technique, updated slightly, in this video.
Baked Pasta with Roasted Peppers
Adapted from The Italian Pantry (1990) by Anna Del Conte; the instructions for roasting bell peppers are adapted from The Best Recipe (1999) and Cook's Illustrated (July 2017) (video)
Time: 50 minutes (not including roasting the peppers)
The original recipe calls for yellow, red, and green bell peppers, but I avoid the green ones, which tend to be bitter. I always leave out the olives, just because not everyone in the family likes them.
1½ pounds (3 large) bell peppers, ideally a mix of red, yellow, and/or orange (see note)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced
a few fresh basil leaves, if available, cut into chiffonade
½ dried chile or 1 fresh chile, seeded and chopped; or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
12 black olives, pitted and cut into strips, optional (see note)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 to 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 pound penne
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
1. To roast the peppers: If you have time, roast the peppers the day before you make the pasta to give them time to marinate. (Roasted bell peppers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.) Move an oven rack to the highest position in your oven, which is probably about 4 inches from the broiler element. Turn the oven on to the "Broil" setting and the "Broil" temperature. Line an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Working one pepper at a time, cut about ½ inch off the top and bottom. Remove the stem from the top piece. Cut a slit down one side of the pepper, then open it up and lay it flat, skin side down, on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to remove the core and all of the white ribs and seeds. Repeat with the remaining peppers.
3. Arrange all of the pepper pieces, including the tops and bottoms, skin side up, so they fit on the baking sheet. Press down on each of the long strips with the palm of your hand so they lay as flat as possible.
4. Place the baking sheet on the top oven rack. Roast the peppers until the skin is puffed and charred but the flesh is still firm, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 5 minutes. Watch them carefully. You want them to be spotty, not completely black all over, or it will be harder to remove the skins.
5. Move the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Using tongs, pile the pepper pieces in the middle of the foil. Fold and crimp the foil over the peppers to form a pouch. Let the peppers steam for 10 minutes. Open the pouch and spread the peppers out again. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skins.
6. Cut the peeled peppers into ½-inch strips. Place the strips into a bowl or resealable container, and sprinkle them with the oregano and some kosher salt and pepper. If you're doing this the day before, cover the container and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to make the pasta.
7. To make the pasta: Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 400 degrees. Grease a deep 2-quart baking dish. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large covered stockpot.
8. While the water is coming to a boil, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, bread crumbs, parsley, basil, chili, olives, and anchovy paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic and bread crumbs are colored a pale gold (do not brown), about 2 or 3 minutes.
9. When the pasta water is boiling, stir in the fine sea salt until dissolved. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
10. Return the pasta to the stockpot. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, and all of the contents of the saucepan. Toss everything together thoroughly. If the pasta seems too dry, add a little more of the cooking water.
11. Put half of the penne into the baking dish. Lay about half the pepper pieces over the pasta. Put the rest of the pasta on top, being sure to scrape out all of the contents of the pot. Top with the remaining peppers, trying to cover all of the pasta if possible. Pour over the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a thin stream. If you roasted the peppers the day before, pour the juices in the container the peppers were in over the top as well.
12. Bake for 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the Parmesan. Serves 4.
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