free counter with statistics Print

The Best Creamy & Spicy Six Pepper Pasta

An elegant bowl of homemade, creamy, and spicy Six Pepper Pasta being served at a fun dinner party.

A spicy and creamy vegetarian pasta dish featuring fettuccine tossed with a medley of six different types of peppers. A colorful mix of sweet mini peppers, bell peppers, poblano, and jalapeño are sautéed with onion and garlic. A rich pan sauce is then created in the same skillet by deglazing with tequila and simmering with vegetable broth, heavy cream, and smoky adobo sauce. The cooked pasta and sautéed vegetables are tossed in the finished sauce for a vibrant and flavorful meal.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 multi-colored mini sweet peppers, sliced into rounds
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup clear tequila
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Add the mini sweet peppers, garlic, onion, red and orange bell peppers, poblano, and jalapeno to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables begin to darken.
  4. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate and set them aside.
  5. Return the skillet to the heat. Turn off the heat and carefully pour in the tequila. Turn the heat back on and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits, until the tequila has reduced.
  6. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly reduced.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the heavy cream. Add the adobo sauce, stirring constantly. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
  8. Add the cooked vegetables back to the skillet, including any juices from the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is hot and bubbly.
  9. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine.
  10. Transfer to bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • This recipe uses a variety of six different peppers for a complex, layered flavor and beautiful color.
  • Turning off the heat before adding the tequila is an important safety step to prevent the alcohol from flaring up.
  • Deglazing the pan with tequila is a key technique that incorporates all the flavorful browned bits from the sautéed vegetables into the sauce.