Recipe from Ally
Time: 45 minutes
Feeds: 2-3 people
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb pasta (I prefer Farfalle)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 package pepperoni, cut in half
- 1-2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 package pesto
- grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
Put a large pot on water on to boil so the pasta can start to cook once the sauce has started to simmer. The longer the sauce can simmer, the better the flavors!
Heat large saute pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add red onion and pepperoni, sautée until onion is soft and both onion and pepperoni are starting to get some color. If you’d like to add a deeper tomato flavor to the sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste and sautée for a minute or so. This step isn’t totally necessary or part of the original recipe I grew up eating but can be a nice touch. Add can of tomatoes and sautée until warmed through
Add in cream and bring to a light boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce sauce to a simmer and cook until thickened a bit. This is a great time to add the pasta to the boiling water to provide enough time for the sauce to simmer and thicken. If you think the sauce is getting too thick at any point during this time, you can add a little extra heavy cream or wait until the end and thin it out some with pasta water.
When the noodles are close to done, add the pesto to the sauce. If you add it too early, the pesto will cook too much and discolor.
Give the sauce a taste and see if it needs anything else – salt, pepper, more pesto, etc.
If you’re draining the pasta into a colander, be sure to save some of the pasta water out to add to the sauce if needed. Add drained pasta to the sauce and let sit for a minute or two to really come together. Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese.