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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Calabrian-Style Tomato and Sweet Pepper Sauce with Pasta

4-6 Servings

35 minutes

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This recipe was inspired by a stewy mélange of cherry tomatoes, garlic, sweet-spicy peppers and extra-virgin olive oil that was served with flatbread at Ristorante Barbieri in Calabria. To make a sauce for pasta, we combine mini sweet peppers (usually sold in a trio of colors) with an earthy cubanelle pepper and add heat with pepper flakes. Cherry or grape tomatoes, plus a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, form the sauce’s backbone. Short pasta with a twisty or curly shape—such as casarecce, gemelli, cavatappi or campanelle—is ideal for ensnaring bits of tomato and peppers.

4-6

Servings

Tip

Don’t use regular bell peppers. Mini sweet peppers are more delicate, so they soften more readily, and their skins are more tender. Also, don’t forget to save 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the noodles. You will need some to lend body to the sauce.

35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1

    pound casarecce, gemelli or cavatappi pasta (see headnote)

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Reviews
Michael J.
September 24, 2026
Really tasty and a fun recipe to play with
I followed this recipe to the line and it turned out extremely tasty and good -- and I added some pan-seared sweet italian sausage (broken into small chunks) and some sauteed broccolini to the dish, and it was really *chef's kiss*
WILLIAM R.
July 19, 2026
So flavorful.
Excellent recipe. Easy to prepare and it has a depth of flavor. I will be making this often.
JON S.
April 11, 2026
Great Any Time Of Year
Made on a weeknight in April. Used cascatelli and subbed in an Anaheim for the cubanelle. Summer might be best, but this was awfully nice with a handful of finely grated pecorino and a touch more basil than the recipe calls for.
Kathryn R.
July 13, 2025
Great Easy Pasta
I made this mid July. All the vegetables were extremely fresh. This was so good and easy. It came together quickly. This will go on heavy rotation during the summer.

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