Fusilli with cacioricotta cheese and peppers 😅😘

Fusilli with cacioricotta cheese and peppers are a simple and tasty first course, typical of Basilicata. In the Lucanian tradition it is often served on feast days, but it is also ideal as a main course for Sunday lunch with the family or for a convivial dinner in the company of friends. Fusilli al ferretto, on the other hand, is a type of pasta that is widespread in much of southern Italy. Prepared by hand with semolina, water and flour, they are worked with a metal rod of about 30 centimeters, which gives them a hollow and tapered shape, ideal for collecting sauces.

To bring this regional specialty to the table, simply clean the peppers, rub them with a sheet of paper towel and remove the inner seeds, then fry them in boiling seed oil for a few seconds, being careful not to burn them. Separately, with the help of a mixer, the stale bread is reduced to coarse crumbs, to be sautéed in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and Senise pepper powder. The fusilli, boiled al dente, are drained directly into the sauce: finally, it is flavored with grated cacioricotta cheese and chopped peppers.

The result will be a dish to be enjoyed at the moment, garnished with another generous sprinkling of cacioricotta; Rich and fragrant, it will immediately conquer young and old. If you like, you can replace the cacioricotta with caciocavallo, and add a few basil leaves, for a fresh and aromatic note. If you don't have pepper powder available, you can omit it, or opt for a pinch of chili pepper, which will give those who want it a more accentuated spicy touch.

Ingredients for 4 people

500g of homemade or fresh fusilli

6 dried peppers

1 clove of garlic

fresh chopped parsley

Spicy chili powder to taste

flaked or grated cacioricotta to taste

Crumb of durum wheat bread

extra virgin olive oil to taste

salt

Preparation

Clean the dried peppers with a completely dry cloth. Remove the stem with your hands, empty the seeds from the peppers and cut them into 4 or 5 parts. Pour a generous layer of oil into a pan and quickly cook the pepper pieces, a few at a time, taking care not to let them blacken and turning them on all sides. Drain them and keep them aside until you finish the dish (otherwise they will lose their crunchiness when they come into contact with humidity). Also keep their oil aside. Finely chop the garlic clove and a little parsley. Brown them in a large non-stick pan with a little cooking oil from the peppers and a couple of tablespoons of durum wheat crumbs. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for the cooking time indicated on the package. Drain it and sauté it in the pan with the seasoning together with a few spoonfuls of cooking water. Turn off the heat and stir in a generous amount of grated cacioricotta. Distribute the pasta onto plates and sprinkle with the peppers crumbled between your fingers, more cacioricotta and, if you like, a pinch of spicy chili powder. Serve immediately.