Peperoncini Pantry Pasta
4.5
(8)
This zesty pasta relies on what’s perhaps an unexpected pantry staple to do all the heavy lifting: an entire jar of peperoncini. Yes, the very same jarred peppers that are tossed into salads or served with a slice of pizza can make an incredible weeknight meal without the need for many other ingredients. This is because the peppers, which offer a mildly spicy bite, are packed in a punchy brine that’s perfect for brightening up any dish. This recipe keeps things simple, allowing the merits of the peppers to shine. You’ll sauté coarsely chopped peperoncini with a generous amount of garlic (14 cloves to be exact) until tender and lightly caramelized. A few anchovies give the pasta a subtle savoriness that amps up everything without making anything overly fishy. This all gets tossed with cooked spaghetti, Parmesan, chopped parsley, and the reserved brine from the peppers. While it might seem like an easy pasta with so few ingredients can only be so exciting, the peperoncini are here to prove otherwise.
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What you’ll need
Peperoncini
$4 At Amazon
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
$19 At Amazon
5.5 Quart Dutch Oven
$420 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 1 lb. spaghetti in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (about 1 minute less than package instructions; pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Shake pasta to remove excess water. Reserve pot.
Step 2
Heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in reserved pot over medium. Drain one 15.5–16-oz. jar peperoncini in a mesh sieve over a small bowl; set brine aside. Finely chop peperoncini (you should have about 1 cup). Add to pot along with 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped (if using), and cook, stirring often, until peppers brown slightly and are tender, 7–9 minutes.
Step 3
Reduce heat to low and add 14 garlic cloves, finely grated, and cook, stirring often, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1½ oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ¾ cup), 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, reserved pasta, and ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid. Cook, stirring and adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time if pasta looks dry or cheese is not combining, until cheese is melted and emulsified and pasta is coated and glossy. Add ⅓ cup reserved brine and remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Taste pasta and add more brine and/or season with salt as needed. (Some brines are very spicy, so add just a splash more at a time. Depending on how salty your brine is, you might not need to add any salt.)
Step 4
Toss ½ cup finely chopped parsley into pasta and divide among shallow bowls. Top with more Parmesan.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
For Punchier Pantry Pasta, Add Peperoncini Brine
Using jarred peperoncini, brine and all, in your weeknight pasta is the pro move you didn’t know you needed.
