Yellow pepper pasta

For a long time and for a lot of people, Italian food was limited to just a few dishes. Pizza, lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs (which, for the record, Italians never eat together). Pasta in a tomato sauce (with or without meat) has become a real symbol of Italian food. Try it. Google: Italian food, go to Google images and see what comes up most. There’s a lot of red in those pictures.

Now, I love a good homemade sugo just as much as the next person, but I like a little variety too and every now and then a different colour is a welcome change.

How do you feel about yellow?

I’ve never had much of a relationship with yellow, except for a summer dress that I had when I was five years old. Hmm, that might be why I have always associated yellow with summer.

It isn’t quite summer here yet, but we’ve had hints. Several days of warm weather alternating with rain and wind. Yesterday was really hot, so hot I had to cut my shopping trip short! But today I left the house with a sweater, it was much cooler, so far, summer is playing hard to get.

I think that some yellow on my table might just tempt summer to come and stay just a little bit longer.

Serves 4

2 yellow peppers

1/2 small onion

15 ml extra virgin olive oil

100 ml hot water

8 cherry tomatoes

250 grams fresh pasta (fettuccine, tagliolini, etc.)

Wash peppers and remove stem and seeds. Carefully cut away any of the white fleshy bits from inside the pepper.

Slice both the onion and yellow pepper finely and put in a pan with the olive oil.

Cook over medium heat for five minutes.

Add the water. It is important that the water is hot, otherwise it will interrupt the cooking processes.

Lower heat and continue to cook until the onion and pepper become tender BUT NOT BROWNED.

Turn off the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let the onion and pepper continue to cook from the heat and vapour that will accumulate under the lid.

While that is happening take 6 of those 8 cherry tomatoes, wash them and cut them in half. Scoop out the seeds and cut the tomatoes into chunks. Set aside.

Take the remaining two tomatoes and slice thinly, set aside.

Take a large stock pot with water and place on the burner to boil.

Remove the onion and yellow pepper from the pan and place in a blender or into the beaker of an immersion blender if you have one.

Add the chopped tomato.

Puree until you have a smooth cream, use some of the liquid from the pan if necessary.

If you do not use the liquid, discard it.

Return the cream to the pan and heat, add salt to taste.

When the water boils, add salt and the pasta.

Fresh pasta usually cooks quickly so it is important to have the sauce ready in advance.

Once the pasta is cooked, add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Over low heat toss until well combined.

Garnish with the sliced tomatoes.