Peppers With Capers And Anchovies Pasticcio Di Dante Food

MIDNIGHT PASTA WITH GARLIC, ANCHOVY, CAPERS AND RED PEPPER

Steps:

• Put the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted rapidly boiling water and cook only until firmly al dente. (Depending on the brand of pasta, this will be 8 to 10 minutes, but check frequently to see. )
• While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, without letting it brown. Stir in the anchovies, capers and red pepper and cook for a half-minute more, then turn off the heat.
• Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour in the garlic mixture, add the parsley, if using, and toss well to coat. Serve with grated Parmesan if desired.

PEPPERS AND ANCHOVIES

Steps:

• Cut peppers in large strips, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with an anchovy fillet. Drizzle with olive oil and optional lemon juice or vinegar. Serve on rounds of bread with capers, if you like.

RED PEPPER & ANCHOVY SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then stir in the spaghetti. Cook for 1 min less than the pack instructions. Tip the oil, garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes into another saucepan or a high-sided frying pan set over a medium heat. Cook for about 1 min, until the oil is hot and the garlic has started to sizzle slightly.
• Add the roasted peppers and tomato purée. Stir well. Continue to cook the anchovy and pepper mixture until the spaghetti is ready, adding a ladleful of the pasta cooking water as it cooks to loosen it and make a sauce.
• When the spaghetti is ready, use tongs to transfer it directly from its cooking water to the sauce, adding a little more of the water to loosen if needed. Cook the spaghetti in the sauce for 30 seconds, tossing to coat, then remove from the heat and toss through the basil. Serve straightaway, drizzled with a little olive oil.

ROASTED PEPPERS WITH CAPERS, OLIVES AND ANCHOVY

Steps:

• Roast the peppers: Place each pepper directly on the flames of a stovetop burner or under the broiler as close to the flames as possible. (Alternatively, place the pepper on a hot charcoal or gas grill.) Turning frequently with tongs, allow the skin to blacken and blister all over; About 10 minutes should suffice. Remove from flames, and leave to rest on a plate until cool enough to handle. Ideally, you should cook all the peppers at once rather than one at a time.
• Cut the roasted pepper in half lengthwise. Using a small knife, scrape away and discard seeds. Turn over and scrape away the blackened skin. Wipe with a paper towel, if necessary. Do not rinse - a little char is fine. Leave the pepper halves in one piece or cut into strips 3/4-inch wide. Place in a small bowl, toss with salt and pepper, red-pepper flakes, garlic and a little olive oil. Leave to marinate at least 10 minutes.
• Lay pepper halves or strips flat on a plate and add 3 or 4 anchovy fillets per serving. Garnish with a few capers and olives. Sprinkle with a little more salt and olive oil, and scatter basil leaves over the top.

PEPPERS WITH CAPERS AND ANCHOVIES (PASTICCIO DI DANTE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Using a pan that can go both on the top of the stove and into the oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook until limp. Discard excess liquid, season with ground pepper and add the capers and anchovies. Cook until the anchovies have dissolved into the mixture.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake, uncovered, until the peppers look and smell roasted and have dried out a bit (about 20 minutes). Be sure to turn them two or three times while they are cooking so that they do not burn. Serve them warm or at room temperature with crusty French bread.