Ingredients

for 1 pound of pasta

　　1 pound jar roasted red peppers in brine or fresh roasted peppers

　　1 1/2 cups flavorful green or black olives, pitted

　　3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

　　7 or 8 plump garlic cloves, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

　　1/2 teaspoon dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes)

　　Hot water from the pasta-cooking pot

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

　　

Step 1

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

　　

Step 2

Drain the roasted peppers, reserving 1/3 cup of the brine. Slice them crosswise into thin strips, about 1/8 inch wide and 3 inches long.

　　

Step 3

Purée the olives in a food processor with 1/2 cup of the olive oil, pulsing them to a paste; scrape into a small dish.

　　

Step 4

Plunge the pasta into the boiling water 5 minutes before you start the sauce.

　　

Step 5

Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a big skillet, scatter the garlic slices in the oil, and set over medium heat. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the garlic is just sizzling.

　　

Step 6

Drop the peperoncino into a hot spot; let it toast for a minute, then stir it in with the garlic.

　　

Step 7

Scrape the olive paste onto a hot spot. Spread it out, let it cook for a minute to caramelize lightly, then stir in with the garlic around the pan.

　　

Step 8

Drop the roasted pepper strips in the center, spread them out, and let them start to sizzle and fry, about a minute.

　　

Step 9

Spill the reserved pepper brine into the skillet, stir everything together, raise the heat slightly, and bring the brine to boiling. Let it bubble and evaporate, shaking the pan and stirring until the brine is gone and the vegetables start to sizzle and caramelize once again.

　　

Step 10

Ladle in 3 cups of boiling pasta water. Stir and cook the skillet sauce rapidly for 3 or 4 minutes (while the pasta is cooking). Reduce the liquid by a third or so, then taste the sauce and add salt as needed. Keep at a low simmer until the pasta is ready.

　　

Step 11

When the pasta is done almost al dente, scoop it up and into the skillet to finish cooking, adjusting with more pasta water or reducing the liquid as necessary. Add the parsley during the initial tossing; off the heat, toss in the cheese and a tablespoon of olive oil just before serving.

　　

Good With . . .

Step 12

Campanelle

　　

Step 13

Lumache

　　

Step 14

Rigatini

　　

Step 15

Radiatori

　　From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.From the Trade Paperback edition.