Cooking

Golden onions, orange bell peppers and bright red tomatoes. Add herbs for garnish and you have a colorful meal.

It’s been years since I last made this recipe, but I stumbled across it while looking for something to do with the onslaught of fresh tomatoes coming from my garden. I’ve made some modifications to the original, not the least of which involves substituting cherry tomatoes for the original romas.

The meal looks best when prepared with fusilli lunghi pasta, but it’s nearly impossible to find. Less attractive alternatives are ordinary old short fusilli twists, or any spaghetti/fetuccine/linguine noodle of your choosing.

Start the water boiling while you chop the ingredients to ensure that all parts of the meal will be done at roughly the same time.

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Fry prosciutto until crisp, about 1 minute. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for approximately 30 seconds.

Add bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until peppers begin to soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more, or until they are no longer watery.

Season with salt and pepper. Add olives, capers, oregano and basil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds more. Remove from heat.

Toss sauce with cooked pasta. Garnish with fried prosciutto crumbles and parmesan cheese.

The finished product.

Results

Thumbs up from the husband, but this isn’t the kid-friendliest of meals. I modified for the Tiny Kitchen Assistant — who had happily helped me cook — and tossed together pasta, tomatoes and parmesan, leaving out the questionable ingredients like capers.

Tags: capers, herbs, olives, onions, pasta, peppers, prosciutto, Recipe, stovetop, tomatoes

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