Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Panzerotti with Red Capsicum and Tomato

Panzerotti is the name given to a Pugliese tomato and cheese stuffed fried pastry but it's also the name used for this triangular ricotta and spinach filled pasta.

panzerotti© by Haalo


While the local pasta shop in town is great source of typical piemontese pasta, the pasta wagon from the Saturday market is where you'll find pasta types from other regions and it's where you'll find these unusual panzerotti.

As these are a larger type of filled pasta, I think it's important not to team it with a heavy meat based sauce but as ricotta fillings can be quite bland, the sauce needs a certain amount of richness. To fill this need, I've made a sauce that combines red capsicums and sweet cherry tomatoes.

panzerotti with tomato and red capsicum sauce© by Haalo

Panzerotti with Tomato and Red Capsicum Sauce

500 grams panzerotti

Tomato and Red Capiscum Sauce
1 red onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red capsicums, finely sliced
400 grams cherry tomatoes, quartered
fresh basil leaves

Make the sauce:

Add a little olive oil and a knob of butter into a pan and place over a medium-low heat - when the butter has melted add in the onion, celery and garlic. Cook slowly until soft but not coloured.

Tip in the capsicums and saute briefly for a few minutes before adding half of the tomatoes. Let this gently simmer for 20 minutes before adding half of the remaining tomatoes - I add the tomatoes in lots to layer the sauce - the initial lot will break down and add richness, the ones added later give texture. Add the last lot of tomatoes about 5 minutes from the end and just before you're ready to toss the pasta through the sauce, stir through some fresh basil leaves.

Serve with a little freshly grated parmesan.


I was quite sad to read that Presto Pasta Nights will soon be ending so to help say adieu to a great event,  I'm sending this off to Simona from Briciole who is hosting Presto Pasta Night this week.

9 comments

  1. It looks like such a simple dish, but one that would be so hearty and delicious. You can't really go wrong with a tomato and basil combination!

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  2. Love tomato-based sauces. Here in Australia we have a brand of canned tomatoes called 'La Gina' and I only just discovered they were named after Gina Lollobrigida in 1963. My blog post has a family memoir about it: http://ambradambra.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/as-the-tomato-said-to-the-actress/

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    Replies
    1. Hi Ambra - i know the tomatoes but didn't know the story. Very interesting!

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    2. Yes. Someone commented on my blog post that we have another brand of canned tomatoes in Australia called 'Annalisa' but I can't think of a famous Italian actress that they'd be named for.

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  3. Great post and you've been a terrific Presto Pasta Night player. You've added many great dishes to the roundups and I do hope to see two more before we're done!

    I do have mixed feelings about ending Presto Pasta Nights. It's been a fabulous ride for the past five years.

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    1. Thanks Ruth - oh yes I'll be there!

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  4. Beautiful pasta, beautiful dish and gorgeous photos. I should not have chosen lunch time to read this :) Thank you so much for your contribution to Presto Pasta Nights.

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    1. Thanks Simona - wish I could send you a plate!

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