This recipe is an authentic traditional primo from Basilicata culinary lineage.

You need just few ingredients: the traditional Cavatelli pasta, roasted breadcrumbs and cruschi peppers. These ingredients embody some of the typical flavours of the culinary history of Italy.

You will love the unique taste of cruschi peppers and the crunchy taste of toasted breadcrumbs. Optionally you can prepare your homemade bread crumbs using stale bread so you won’t let your leftover bread go to waste.

How do I cook cruschi peppers?

Let the pan heat up and pour some olive oil / peanut oil, then add Di Carlo dried peppers and some more  olive oil / peanut oil, then switch the stove off.

Quickly flip the peppers over, making sure they are not burning, until they get puffy, then they are ready.

Let them drain on paper towel: the more your peppers cool down, the more they will get crunchy, in other words they will get “cruschi”!

Tip: you can fry just few pieces at a time instead of frying them all at once

How do I prepare Cavatelli pasta Ammollicati?

Let the pan heat up, pour 2 tablespoons of EVO oil and add a garlic clove. Then add crushed breadcrumbs and stir until they are crisp and golden.

Cook Cavatelli pasta in boiling salted water, drain it (reserving a mugful of the starchy cooking water), then add pasta to the sauce.

Stir well over the heat for few minutes. If necessary, you can pour in a little of the reserved pasta water.

At this point, sprinkle on top our crushed cruschi peppers and serve.

Optionally, instead of adding (50 gr) pecorino cheese, you can stir pasta and add breadcrumbs.