Much ado about the peppadew, plus another kitchen sink meal I like to call "Much Ado Peppadew Pasta"

peppadews from the olive bar at the market in their briny water

What's with all the excitement over these little guys - the peppadew? From the first time I discovered them in the olive bar at my local market, I've been infatuated. They stuck out like a sore thumb nestled amongst the shades of green and I was instantly drawn to them. Curious, I wondered what they might taste like given their vibrant red and luscious-looking skin.


Thus began my love affair with peppadews. They are little red peppers originally from South Africa. They're mildly sweet, mildly hot, and bathed in a briny liquid they're also just the perfect amount of salty. Perhaps this is why they add so much depth of flavor to every dish they're in. Of course they're good "as is", or stuffed with your favorite cheese. Heck, I've even stuffed an olive in it and eaten as a snack.

This quick and easy dish was inspired by ingredients I had laying around and needed to use up. As is often the case, I take a look in my fridge and on the counter and start throwing everything into a one dish meal, so as not to "waste" anything. Enter the ingredients left over from the Savory Spinach, Feta, and Peppadew Muffins I made this past weekend, plus some plump cherry tomatoes and whole wheat capellini pasta, and I was sure I had a decent meal. (Can I just say, it was way more than decent? It was completely and utterly yummy!)

Now for the "recipe"...this is an easy one and one that doesn't require exact measurements (or any particular ingredients for that matter..except peppadews, of course).

"Much Ado Peppadew Pasta"

Ingredients:

whole wheat capellini pasta (or any pasta)

olive oil

garlic cloves, freshly minced

peppadews (the hot ones), chopped (reserve some of the briny liquid)

fresh whole cherry tomatoes

fresh spinach leaves, chopped or torn

feta cheese, crumbled

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions being sure to cook in heavily-salted water.

Meanwhile heat a skillet to medium and add a drizzle of olive oil. Then add garlic, peppadews, and cherry tomatoes and saute for a minute or two.

Drain pasta. Add pasta directly to skillet with peppadew mixture, along with the spinach and reserved briny juice from the peppadews (approximately 1-2 Tablespoons per serving for 4) . Toss together and allow spinach to slightly wilt or soften (about 1-2 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Serve immediately with crumbled feta cheese on top. How easy is that?