Culture

This pasta dish is a simple combination of vivid ingredients that will trick you into thinking summer is still in full swing. As Dunedin’s sunshine-filled days become a rarity, a colourful meal brings joy into the ritual of dinner. Rather than being coated in a heavy sauce, fettucine is nestled between peppers, peas and fresh herbs. Play around with the quantities – up the garlic, alternate the colours of the capsicum or add more smoked paprika if the sauce is a bit too oily. The beauty of this pasta is that it only demands rough quantities of ingredients, and can easily accommodate that which tickles your fancy – be it a crumbling of feta, some sliced and lightly fried courgettes or some gently softened mushrooms. If you choose to add extra vegetables to bulk it out, simply add them to the pan with the capsicums. Stupidly easy.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g dried fettucine
• 4 TBS olive oil (extra virgin is best – it’s fruitier)
• 1-2 tsps smoked paprika
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 red capsicums, cored, de-seeded and thinly sliced lengthways
• 1 cup of frozen baby peas
• A few large handfuls of fresh coriander and/or basil, roughly torn

1. Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and a splash of oil. Bring to the boil, then add the pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until firm to the bite.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and smoked paprika in a fry pan over a low to medium heat. Add the garlic and capsicums, stirring frequently, until the capsicum is softened.
3. In the final two minutes that the pasta is cooking, tip the peas in to the pot (with the pasta). The peas cook rapidly – you want them just tender. Simply drain the pasta and peas together through a colander.
4. Add the softened capsicum to the drained pasta and peas, stir through the fresh herbs and serve.
5. You may wish to drizzle a little more olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice over the pasta. A few leaves of fresh mint work nicely also.

Serves three to four for about $12.