Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Whipped Feta and Chorizo
Serves 4
Adapted from The Modern Proper
2 bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 pound (500 grams) noodles
⅔ pound (300 grams) chorizo, or other spicy sausage
8 ounces (225 grams) feta, drained and crumbled
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
⅓ cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1½ teaspoon salt
10 fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon ground thyme
½ teaspoon ground oregano
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup fresh parsley, minced, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet foil to prevent sticking and help with the clean up.
Place the pepper halves skin side up on your baking sheet. Roast the peppers until the tops are blistered and charred, and the flesh is easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the bell peppers to a cutting board. The peppers will be hot, but you should still be able to handle them. Using a small kitchen utensil, such as a fork or a small spoon, peel the blistered skin off the peppers. The skin should peel off relatively easily. Discard the skin.
Let the peppers cool to room temperature (about 10-15 minutes). Set aside.
Salt a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente according to the packaging. Reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta cooking water. Set the noodles aside.
Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. As the pan is heating up, add the chorizo. Let it fry, while slowly break it up into bite-sized pieces, with a wooden spoon until cooked through and the edges are crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, add feta, 1-2 garlic cloves, yogurt, ¼ cup water, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and transfer to a small bowl.
In the same blender, add the roasted red peppers, remaining garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, basil, thyme, oregano, heavy cream, and reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth.
Transfer the pasta back to the pot and tip the crumbled chorizo, along with the oil from the pan, pour the red pepper sauce over top. Garnish with parsley and toss to coat.
Top with the whipped feta, red pepper flakes, and additional parsley.
Enjoy!