Hot Wheels Pasta

Wheel-shaped rotelle pasta, zucchini slices, and plenty of spicy and sweet pepper rings add fun to Chef John's colorful recipe.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 269 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 2 zucchini - alternating strips of peel removed lengthwise and zucchini sliced
• 1 cup seeded and sliced jalapeno peppers
• 1 cup seeded and sliced red Fresno chile peppers
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 0.5 cup chopped green onions
• 0.75 cup chicken stock
• 0.5 cup seeded and sliced yellow mini bell pepper
• 0.5 cup seeded and sliced orange mini bell pepper
• 2.5 cups rotelle pasta

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Step 2

Place heavy skillet over medium heat and pour olive oil into hot skillet; add green onions and anchovy fillet. Cook and stir until anchovy breaks down and green onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic to skillet and cook until translucent, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Stir zucchini into green onion mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini slices just start to become tender, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper; cook until zucchini centers start to change color to slightly green, 1 to 2 more minutes.

Step 4

Pour tomato sauce and chicken stock into skillet. Reduce heat to low; add sugar. Mix jalapeno, Fresno, yellow mini pepper, and orange mini pepper rings into mixture. Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce heat to low.

Step 5

Pour rotelle pasta into boiling water and cook, stirring often, until pasta is still slightly firm, about 7 minutes. Drain and let pasta stand for 2 minutes.

Step 6

Bring sauce to a boil; stir in rotelle pasta. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until pasta, zucchini, and peppers are tender, 2 to 3 more minutes. Taste and adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Mix in about 1 1/2 teaspoon parsley. Serve in bowls and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon parsley.