Casarecce with Mini Tomatoes & Shishito Peppers is a rustic and comforting dish incorporating fresh grape tomatoes and crispy shishito pepper. You can make this with any short pasta (or long pasta if you like) in no time! It's vegan and can be made gluten free.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Entree, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Japanese Inspired, Italian Inspired
Servings: 2
Author: Plant-Based Matters
Ingredients
15piecesshishito peppers(about 6 oz)
1tbspextra virgin olive oilmore for serving
2clovesgarlicsliced or minced
3/4cupthinly sliced yellow onion
8ozcasarecce(or any short pasta of your choice)
8ozmini tomatoes(I used yellow grape tomatoes), make a cross shaped slit at the top or bottom
3/4tspsalt
1/4tspblack peppermore for serving
1/4cupdry white wine(or pasta cooking water)
1/4cuppasta cooking water
Minced fresh parsley(optional garnish)
Instructions
In a large pot, start boiling water for cooking casarecce.
Pull of the stems of shishito peppers. Slice in half lengthwise and remove the core/seeds. Then slice diagonally into 1/4 to 1/3-inch pieces. Place them in a fine mesh colander and rinse under running water to clean and to remove remaining seeds. Drain well and set aside.
Heat up a frying pan at medium high heat. Pour extra virgin olive oil and add garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Next, add yellow onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Reduce the heat if necessary.
At this point, start cooking casarecce in salted water for 9-11 minutes or follow the instructions on the package.
Reduce the heat to medium and add mini tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add dry white wine and pasta cooking water. Let the alcohol evaporate. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer for another 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are cracked open. You can use a paddle to gently crush down the tomatoes to help them open.
In the last 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done, add shishito peppers. Cook for a couple minutes until tender but still crispy. For better taste and texture, do not overcook the shishito pepper.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and transfer to the pan. Give a quick toss. If it looks dry, add more pasta sauce.
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for the finishing touch. Garnish with minced fresh parsley (optional.)
Notes
For gluten-free option, use any GF pasta of your choice. Also, check the label of wine to make sure that it’s free of potential use of gluten.