- 11/4 cups dried acini di pepe
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, cut into small dice
- 1 small onion, cut into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup diced red or yellow bell peppers, or a mix
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into small dice
- 1/4 cup white wine; more as needed
- 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano leaves (optional)
- 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
If you can’t find the tiny, round acini di pepe, you can use tubettini or riceshaped orzo.
- Boil the pasta. It should be tender in about 8 min. When done, drain it and
rinse briefly under cool water. Return it to the pot, toss with 1 Tbs. olive oil, and
set aside. You can do this up to a day ahead; if so, cover and refrigerate. - Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the remaining oil, let
it get hot, and then add the carrot and onion. Sauté over medium heat until
the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 min. Turn the heat to high. Add the
garlic, peppers, and zucchini, and sauté for another 5 min. Don’tletthe garlic
burn. The zucchini and peppers should be soft but not mushy. Deglaze with
the wine. - Add the pasta and sauté over high heat, jerking the pan frequently so the
ingredients mix well. If the pasta sticks, add a little more wine. When the pasta
is heated through, remove the pan from the heat. Gently stir in the parsley,
oregano, and Romano. Season with salt and pepper.