Roasted red peppers make a mellow, slightly sweet sauce that clings to the ridges of the rigatoni. Toasted almonds and parsley add a fresh, crunchy contrast to every bite.
In this dish, red peppers are more than an accent; they’re the base of the sauce. Roasting the peppers at a high heat chars the skin and softens the flesh, bringing out its sweetness. That hint of smokiness gives the pasta more depth than peppers cooked only in a pan. Peppers are available year-round; in summer, Dutch-grown peppers are usually plentiful. Choose firm peppers with shiny skin that feel heavy for their size.
After roasting, covering the peppers and letting them rest for ten minutes helps loosen the skin. Then peel them with your fingers; it’s fine if a few bits of skin remain. It’s best not to rinse them, as that washes away flavor too. Remove the seeds and membranes, then blend the flesh with olive oil, gently cooked garlic, and a little pasta water. The starchy water loosens the purée and helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
Rigatoni works well because its wide tubes and ridges hold the smooth sauce. Cook the pasta until just al dente and save a cup of cooking water before draining. Then toss the rigatoni with the pepper sauce in a roomy pan. If it’s too thick, add more cooking water a splash at a time; the sauce should coat the pasta, not sit in a heavy layer at the bottom. A little lemon juice balances the sweetness of the peppers.
Almonds add a toasted, crunchy finish. Toast the pieces in a dry frying pan and keep an eye on them: once fragrant, they brown quickly. Let them cool briefly before sprinkling them over the pasta with the parsley, so the herbs stay fresh. No almonds on hand? Hazelnuts work too, though they have a more pronounced flavor. You can replace the parsley with finely chopped basil.
Serve the pasta straight away, while the sauce is still silky and the almonds are crunchy. A simple green salad or thinly sliced fennel with lemon makes a good accompaniment without overpowering the pepper flavor. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly in a pan with a splash of water within two days. The sauce will loosen up again; sprinkle the almonds over just before serving.
Preheat the oven to 240 °C. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 25–35 minutes, turning them halfway through, until the skin is charred all over and the flesh feels soft.
Put the peppers in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin, remove the stems and seeds, and catch any juices that have collected.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Gently cook the garlic for 1–2 minutes without letting it brown.
Cook the rigatoni in plenty of salted water until al dente, following the package instructions. Before draining, scoop a mugful of pasta water from the pan.
Blend the peppers with their collected juices, the cooked garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon juice, and half the salt until smooth. Add about 60 ml pasta water and blend again. Season with black pepper.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until golden. Shake the pan regularly, then transfer the almonds to a plate.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add the pepper sauce and toss over low heat until the rigatoni is coated all over. Add a little more pasta water if needed; taste and add extra salt if necessary.
Divide the pasta among the plates and finish with the toasted almonds and parsley.
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