Orecchiette with salami and peperonata: hearty bushwalking food

DifficultyIntermediate

This pasta recipe is SO good at the end of a long day on the trail. It's packed with flavoursome ingredients like salami and pesto, and uses powdered tomato and capsicum to minimise the weight of your backpack.

Category
Yields2 Servings
Prep Time15 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 5 mins
Summary
 650 g total weight (dry ingredients)
 1.30 l total volume (dry ingredients)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 600 ml water for pasta sauce
 800 ml water to cook the pasta
Ingredients
 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 small brown onionsYou could also substitute 2 shallots for each onion, if you wanted to be fancy
 1 cloves garlic
 3 tsp vinegar powderIf you can't find this ingredient, just leave it out.
 50 g mild salami, with a long use-by date
 250 g orecchiette pasta
 ½ tbsp salt (for pasta water)
 2 tbsp basil pesto
 80 g feta cheese, vacuum packed, with a long use-by date
  cup tomato powderSee alternative option below if you can't find this ingredient
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
  cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same. Use a bit less water when cooking your pasta sauce.
Packing before your hike
1

Put tomato powder and vinegar powder in a freezer bag, tied tightly in a knot. Put salt and pasta in a bag. Place dried capsicum flakes in a bag.
Double-bag the pesto, squeezing out any air before you tie up the first bag. If you're using tomato paste rather than tomato powder, buy sachets or double-bag the paste.
Put all the ingredients in a bag together.

Ingredients for this dish: onions, garlic, dried capsicum flakes, powdered tomato and vinegar, basil pesto, salami, feta cheese, orecchiette, salt and olive oil. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Check the ingredients to see how much water you need for the pasta sauce. Pour this water into a saucepan or large bowl, then add the dried capsicum flakes. Leave to soak for 10 minutes before you start cooking.

Dried capsicum flakes soaking in water in a camping stove pan. Photo: A Hutchings

3

While capsicum flakes are soaking, chop onions/shallots and garlic. Cut salami into thin strips.

Dried capsicum flakes soaking in a pan, next to a hiker's cutting mat with chopped onion, garlic and salami. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
4

Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until onion has softened, but not browned.
Note: If you have the luxury of 2 burners, you could start cooking the pasta at this point - see Step 7.

Onions frying on a camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Add garlic and salami to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Salami and garlic added to onion in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Stir in the capsicum flakes and water, along with the tomato powder (or tomato paste) and vinegar powder. Bring to the boil, then simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set sauce aside.

Making the peperonata sauce: adding capsicum, tomato powder and vinegar powder to the garlic, onion and salami. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Check the ingredients to see how much water you need to cook the pasta. Add this water to a pan and bring to the boil. Add pasta and salt, and cook on medium heat until tender but not mushy (usually around 12 minutes).

Orecchiette pasta cooking in boiling water. Photo: A Hutchings

8

Add the sauce you cooked earlier to the pasta, along with the basil pesto. Mix to combine.

Orecchiette pasta mixed with peperonata sauce and basil pesto. Photo: A Hutchings

9

Divide the pasta among bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Orecchiette with salami and peperonata sauce in camping bowl, with feta cheese. Photo: A Hutchings

Ingredients

Summary
 650 g total weight (dry ingredients)
 1.30 l total volume (dry ingredients)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 600 ml water for pasta sauce
 800 ml water to cook the pasta
Ingredients
 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 small brown onionsYou could also substitute 2 shallots for each onion, if you wanted to be fancy
 1 cloves garlic
 3 tsp vinegar powderIf you can't find this ingredient, just leave it out.
 50 g mild salami, with a long use-by date
 250 g orecchiette pasta
 ½ tbsp salt (for pasta water)
 2 tbsp basil pesto
 80 g feta cheese, vacuum packed, with a long use-by date
  cup tomato powderSee alternative option below if you can't find this ingredient
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
  cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same. Use a bit less water when cooking your pasta sauce.

Directions

Packing before your hike
1

Put tomato powder and vinegar powder in a freezer bag, tied tightly in a knot. Put salt and pasta in a bag. Place dried capsicum flakes in a bag.
Double-bag the pesto, squeezing out any air before you tie up the first bag. If you're using tomato paste rather than tomato powder, buy sachets or double-bag the paste.
Put all the ingredients in a bag together.

Ingredients for this dish: onions, garlic, dried capsicum flakes, powdered tomato and vinegar, basil pesto, salami, feta cheese, orecchiette, salt and olive oil. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Check the ingredients to see how much water you need for the pasta sauce. Pour this water into a saucepan or large bowl, then add the dried capsicum flakes. Leave to soak for 10 minutes before you start cooking.

Dried capsicum flakes soaking in water in a camping stove pan. Photo: A Hutchings

3

While capsicum flakes are soaking, chop onions/shallots and garlic. Cut salami into thin strips.

Dried capsicum flakes soaking in a pan, next to a hiker's cutting mat with chopped onion, garlic and salami. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
4

Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until onion has softened, but not browned.
Note: If you have the luxury of 2 burners, you could start cooking the pasta at this point - see Step 7.

Onions frying on a camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Add garlic and salami to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Salami and garlic added to onion in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Stir in the capsicum flakes and water, along with the tomato powder (or tomato paste) and vinegar powder. Bring to the boil, then simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set sauce aside.

Making the peperonata sauce: adding capsicum, tomato powder and vinegar powder to the garlic, onion and salami. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Check the ingredients to see how much water you need to cook the pasta. Add this water to a pan and bring to the boil. Add pasta and salt, and cook on medium heat until tender but not mushy (usually around 12 minutes).

Orecchiette pasta cooking in boiling water. Photo: A Hutchings

8

Add the sauce you cooked earlier to the pasta, along with the basil pesto. Mix to combine.

Orecchiette pasta mixed with peperonata sauce and basil pesto. Photo: A Hutchings

9

Divide the pasta among bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Orecchiette with salami and peperonata sauce in camping bowl, with feta cheese. Photo: A Hutchings

Notes

Orecchiette with salami and peperonata: hearty bushwalking food
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