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Pizza pepper! That's what we call the crushed red pepper flakes that sit on the table in every pizzeria in the northeast United States. Call us crazy, but no matter what topping we choose, we like the option of bringing in some heat. When a server asks if you'd like pepper, he or she will produce not a terrifyingly large pepper mill, but a shaker jar of red pepper flakes. By the way, red pepper flakes are a popular table condiment in Hungary, Turkey, Korea, Japan, and the Mideast, too.

Red pepper flakes are made by roasting chile peppers, and then crushing them. The high percentage of seeds that remain account for the heat of the final product. The peppers used, mostly California, cayenne, or New Mexico chiles, range from 16,000 to 20,000 Scoville units. (Green bell peppers score 0 Scoville units; jalapenos 3,000-5,000;)



When it comes to red pepper flakes, freshness matters; stale pepper that sits around in your pantry definitely loses its kick. Store pepper in an airtight jar or in the freezer. After a year, you either need to replace the spice, or increase the quantity when you cook with it to compensate for the diminishing pungency.

Try This Dish Using Our Organic Pepper Flakes!!

PASTA PUTTANESCA:
It's hard to believe that it's been a quarter of a century since the publication of the original edition of The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso. The recipes are still fresh and inventive, and the new 25th Anniversary Edition of the book is even better than the original. In the introduction to this recipe, the authors write: "This racy pasta sauce is named for Italian ladies of the night (the puttone). It's quick and cheap and we hope it offends no one to say so." Serves 4.

1 lb spaghetti, linguine, or other thin dried pasta
2 cans (2 lbs, 3 oz each) Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 cup best-quality olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup tiny black nicoise olives
1/4 cup drained capers
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
8 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
Salt, to taste (I use kosher salt or sea salt)


Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the spaghetti. Cook until tender but still firm. Drain immediately and transfer to four heated plates. While the spaghetti is cooking, drain the tomatoes, cut them crosswise into halves, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Combine the tomatoes and olive oil in a skillet and bring to a boil. Keep the sauce at a full boil and add the oregano, pepper flakes, olives, capers, garlic, anchovies, and 1/2 cup parsley, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook, until the sauce has thickened to your liking, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and add salt, if desired. Serve immediately over the hot pasta and garnish with the additional chopped parsley.