Pasta with Chilies
This dish isn’t just creamy, and cheesy, it’s pretty darn fiery thanks to dried chilies! Add a little or a lot – you completely control the heat!
How spicy is this dish? It’s as spicy as you want it to be. I used 15 dried chilies, so this batch was HOT. Like sweating-under-your eyes hot! That’s the way my son likes it, so that’s the way I made it. That said, you can use a fraction of the chilies – like 1 or 2 – and make a creamy pasta dish with a subtle amount of heat.
What type of chilies should you use? Any dried chile works, but I strongly recommend chile de arbol chilies. Also known as the pico de pajaro (or bird’s beak chile), chiles de árbol are slender, bright-red chiles that are two to three inches long. Unlike many other chilies, they retain their vibrant red color when dried. Chiles d árbol are reasonably spicy, registering 15,000–30,000 on the Scoville heat scale – that makes them milder than cayenne peppers (30,000–50,000 Scoville heat units), but significantly hotter than jalapeño peppers (2,500–8,000 Scoville heat units). They have a smoky, nutty flavor that is further enhanced by toasting. When added to this cream sauce, they infuse it with smoky heat.
Heavy cream truly balances the flavors of the chile peppers. The cream not only mellows the heat of the chilies, the fat in the cream lingers on your palate, which means all the amazing flavors of the dish also linger on your palate.
What should you serve with this creamy pasta? I suggest a refreshing green salad on the side. The coolness of the salad will complement the cream sauce and spiciness of the dish. A nice hunk of artisan bread would make a nice addition too.
Pasta with Chilies
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice, I used gemilli
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 10 to 15 dried chile de arbol chilies, or more/less to taste
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the chilies. Cook for 10 minutes, being careful not to burn the butter.
- Add the garlic and oregano to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chilies have softened.
- When the pasta has finished cooking, add it to the pan. Stir to coat. If necessary, add some or all of the reserved pasta cooking water.
- Fold in the cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with extra parmesan cheese on the side.