- Bring a large pot with water to boil and salt it. Core and grate the peppers (carefully starting from the stem end on a box grater then rotating as needed; or in the food processor, using the largest holes). The pieces will be uneven and a little wet; chop any remaining big chunks and resist the temptation to drain them.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring almost constantly until they sizzle and darken, just a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and parsley and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl; don’t bother to wipe out the pan.
- Put the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring once or twice until fragrant, about a minute. Add the peppers and any accumulated juices, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until the bits soften in places but still retain some crunch, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat if the pasta isn’t ready.
- When the water comes to a boil, cook the spaghetti until it’s tender but not mushy; start tasting after 5 minutes. When the noodles are ready, drain them in a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Reheat the pepper mixture until steaming if necessary. Then turn off the heat and toss in the spaghetti, adding some of the pasta cooking water to form a light sauce. Sprinkle with the noochy crumbs and toss again just to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.
Note:
If you’re buying store-bought bread crumbs, choose panko or another coarse option. Just promise me you won’t skimp on the peppers.
— Recipe developed by Kerri Conan