As the name may infer, this sumptuous vegetarian pesto hails from the sun-drenched Calabria, the ‘tip’ of Italy’s boot. Here, sweet red peppers and fiery chillies grow abundantly from the scorched earth, the unrelenting heat rendering particularly flavoursome crops.
Revered for its spicy, yet slightly smoky taste, the Calabrian chilli is tempered by creamy and cooling ricotta cheese, as well as fragrant basil. Unlike most of the famous cheeses consumed across the peninsula, ricotta is suitable for vegetarians, formed from the sweet and mild whey byproduct of traditional cheese making.
This week, we've serve our Calabrian pesto with fresh paccheri pasta and beautiful sun-dried tomatoes. Paccheri are a large, tubular-shaped pasta originating from Campania and Calabria. “Paccheri” literally translates to “slaps”, which is derived from the sound they make when eaten. Paccheri were invented by Sicilian pasta makers in order to smuggle Southern Italian garlic into Prussia during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Prussian garlic was small and weak compared to the large, pungent, Italian cloves, so Italian farmers hid 4-5 cloves in each piece of paccheri and smuggled it across the northern border.
Note: Please consume or freeze our pasta and sauces within 2 days of delivery.
METHOD
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Salt the water (around ½tbsp per litre).
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent sticking.
- Whilst the pasta cooks, put the pesto and semi-dried tomatoes in a large bowl. Take care to ensure you squeeze all the sauce from the pouch. Add 2 tbsp (30ml) of the boiling cooking water to the pesto and mix together.
- Once cooked, transfer the pasta to the pesto. Toss gently to coat.
- Sprinkle over the Italian cheese. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
INGREDIENTS
Allergens in BOLD & CAPITALISED:
Durum WHEAT Semola, WHEAT Flour, EGG, Rice Flour
Red Bell Pepper (25%), Onion, Vegetarian Hard Cheese (MILK, Salt, Vegetarian Rennet), Ricotta (Pasteurised Cow's MILK, Cream (MILK), Salt, Acidity Regulator; Lactic Acid), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Red Chillies, Salt, Black Pepper
Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil, Water, Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Sugar, Garlic
MILK, Salt, Rennet (Microbial Coagulant), EGG Lysozyme
ALLERGENS
In addition to the recipe-specific allergen information provided, Pasta Evangelists handles all 14 allergens prescribed in legislation. Whilst we have implemented and maintain safety practices and take all reasonable precautions to prevent cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that our products will not contain traces of these allergens.
NUTRITION
Calories per serving: 757kcal
Following nutritional information is per 100g:
- Energy 1079kJ
- Calories 259kcal
- Fat 7.4g
- Of which saturates 2.5g
- Carbohydrates 36.6g
- Of which sugars 5.4g
- Protein 10.7g
- Salt 0.6g
RECIPE CARD
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