Pasta with Pepper Cream, Mortadella, and Pistachios

Method

1. Clean the bell peppers: remove seeds and white membranes, then cut into small pieces.
2. In a pan with olive oil, one clove of garlic, basil, and thyme, cook the peppers over low heat, partially covered, until soft. Add a splash of water if needed.
3. Once the peppers are tender, remove the garlic and thyme. Transfer the peppers and their cooking liquid to a blender.
4. Add mascarpone and a piece of mortadella. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt.
5. Cook the mezze maniche pasta in salted boiling water.
6. Cut mortadella into cubes and toast them in a dry pan until crispy.
7. Transfer the pepper cream to a large pan. Add some crushed pistachios.
8. Drain the pasta al dente and transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Add a little pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
9. Serve the pasta, topping with crispy mortadella, crushed pistachios, fresh basil, and freshly ground black pepper if desired.