Pasta with Peppers

When tomatoes are in season, this is the pasta to make.

The sauce is entirely uncooked. Sliced tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil get combined and left to sit while the rigatoni boils. That resting time lets the tomatoes release their juices, which mingle with the olive oil and garlic into a fresh, bright sauce.

Toss the hot pasta with Parmesan first so it melts and clings to every tube, then fold in the raw tomato mixture. The heat from the pasta warms everything just enough to soften the edges without cooking the vegetables through. You end up with something that tastes like summer in a bowl.

Rigatoni’s ridges and wide openings catch chunks of tomato and pepper, making it the ideal shape here.

Pro Tips

• Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. This recipe lives or dies on tomato quality. Mealy, out-of-season tomatoes will produce a bland, watery result.
• Let the tomato mixture sit at least 15 minutes while you cook the pasta. This gives the flavors time to marry.
• Toss the pasta with cheese before adding the tomato mixture. The cheese melts and coats the hot pasta evenly this way.

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for gentle heat.
• Toss in pitted kalamata olives and capers for a puttanesca-inspired version.
• Use fresh mozzarella torn into pieces instead of Parmesan for a caprese-style pasta.