My last post was about the phenomenal local goat cheese in my region of the Carolinas. Inspired by Fishing Creek Creamery’s Spiderbite, a unique combination of creamy chèvre with the spicy bite of ghost peppers and a tiny hint of chocolate, I decided to revamp one of our favorite weeknight pasta recipes.
I’ve been making Marcella Hazan‘s recipe for Bell Pepper and Goat Cheese Sauce for Pasta (from Marcella Cucina) for over 15 years – sometimes using her recipe, but more frequently adding my own changes until, after many iterations, I’ve made it my own.
Since bell peppers are among the “dirty dozen”, please choose organic peppers if possible. Marcella peeled her peppers (possibly because she isn’t specifying organic peppers), but I think that peeled peppers lose a lot of their Vitamin C and the fresh bright color that I love in this dish. Instead of peeling them, I cook them down in extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter, adding a little white wine and stock for flavor about half way through. Trust me, they come out meltingly tender and sweet!
My penne recommendation is Barilla Plus penne in the yellow box. It packs plenty of protein and has a nice texture that stands up well to this rich and creamy sauce. A 3.5 ounce serving gives you 17 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber according to the package information. So, even though this is one of my recipes that doesn’t contain a meat analogue – you’ll still get a more than an adequate amount of protein in this dish.
My recipe for Tri-Color Pepper Spiderbite Penne is next up in my queue of recipes that I’m sharing with my loyal subscribers. If you are brand new to my website, please sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get my free guide to The Good, the Bad, and the Not so Tasty, so that you won’t waste your hard earned money on meat analogues that don’t deliver. You’ll also get free weekly recipes that don’t appear on my website, as well as an easy link to my latest posts.
Although my Tri-Color Pepper Spiderbite Penne doesn’t contain a meat analogue, it has a significant amount of protein (between the pasta and the goat cheese) and is so much better and lower in fat and calories than that pre-made al Fredo sauce you were tempted to buy in a jar for your next pasta dinner. Please try it and let me know what you think!
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