Pasta con Peperoni Cruschi

Name: Pasta con Peperoni Cruschi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400 g spaghetti or trofie; 8 peppers dried peperoni cruschi (Senise sweet peppers); 60 g coarse breadcrumbs; 3 fillets anchovy fillets; 3 cloves garlic; 120 ml olive oil; 60 g Pecorino di Filiano

Basilicata · pasta · serves 4 · 30 min total · easy

Peperoni cruschi are sweet Senise peppers, sun-dried on threaded strings, then flash-fried into crisps. Basilicata's most distinctive ingredient.

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti or trofie
8 peppers dried peperoni cruschi (Senise sweet peppers)
60 g coarse breadcrumbs
3 fillets anchovy fillets
3 cloves garlic
120 ml olive oil
60 g Pecorino di Filiano

Method

Toast the breadcrumbs in olive oil with a smashed garlic clove until golden. Lift out garlic, drain crumbs.
Heat olive oil in another pan. Add seeded cruschi peppers — fry just 15 seconds! They go from crisp to bitter in moments. Lift onto paper.
In the warm oil, melt anchovies with the remaining sliced garlic.
Boil pasta to al dente.
Toss pasta in the anchovy oil with a splash of pasta water.
Plate. Crumble the cruschi over the top — they should crackle like crisps. Shower with toasted breadcrumbs and pecorino.

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