The Best Calabrian Chili Pasta
Once you discover the magic of Calabrian chiles, you will never go back! These spicy and smoky Italian chili peppers go amazingly with a creamy tomato sauce and some al dente pasta to make an easy vegetarian pasta dish in no time. You can find Calabrian chiles at most grocery stores in a jar. They will definitely be at specialty stores like Whole Foods, or you can opt to order them online. They are worth the investment, because I guarantee you are going to love this pasta dish as your new go-to easy dinner recipe!
Ingredients Needed
Olive Oil: Use a high quality cooking olive oil! Onion: For added flavor and aroma. Garlic: This recipe is heavy on the garlic because it adds so much flavor! Trust me, you won’t regret it. Calabrian Chiles: You can buy jarred Calabrian chiles at the store! Chop them up into small pieces before adding them to the sauce. Tomato Paste: This is a tomato based sauce and tomato paste is the easiest way to get a deep, tomato flavor! Ziti Pasta: Or any of your favorite tube-shaped pasta. You can use penne, rigatoni, or even cavatappi! Heavy Cream & Milk: A combination of heavy cream and milk are added to the sauce to make it super creamy. If you add only heavy cream, the sauce might be too thick! Parmesan Cheese: Garnish the final Calabrian chili pasta dish with grated parmesan. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: For a bit of extra spice, you can garnish with crushed red pepper flakes as well. Chopped Herbs: I like to top mine off with freshly chopped parsley or basil, or even both!
How to Make This CALABRIAN chili pasta
Tips for Success
Add some lemon zest! To brighten things up, add a bit of lemon zest to the sauce. Don’t add the juice though, as that might curdle the sauce. If you are sensitive to spice, add just one or two chili peppers into the pasta sauce, then taste to see if you want to add another or not! I would say these are about medium-spicy, but everyone has their own interpretation of spicy food. You can also omit the red pepper flakes! Throw in some veggies! This pasta sauce is versatile and can be made with some added veggies if you prefer. Go for ones that go well in a spicy, creamy sauce. Something like spinach or kale, mushrooms or red bell peppers!
More Pasta Recipes to Try
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