I use anything and everything from cubanelle to ghost. Just seed, chop them up, saute and add your basic tomato sauce (or whatever). I also make oil-based sauces. Search for the 'Favorite Recipes' thread.

Cayenne flakes are a very poor substitute - all heat and no flavor.

When adding heat to Italian dishes I typically reach for some pepperoncini (dried and flakes). I like it for its subtle heat - I usually don't make italian food very spicy.

I just made a pizza, and I used a jalapeno on it. Just because I had some jalapenos lying around. Worked pretty well :)

Hey thanks guys.

DM- What do you mean when you say cayenne flakes are all heat and no flavor. My flakes have so much flavor I can't stop eating them despite the burn!

Cayenne is one of the most used pepper in southern Italian cooking I thought....... ;)

Plus ! Cayennes are good for you ! see ... http://www.cayennepepper.info/health-benefits-of-cayenne-pepper.html

Google "Italian cherry bomb recipes" and images "Italian cherry bombs" . Half my pepper seedlings this year are cherry bombs.

Pepperoncini
Italian Frying
Corno di Toro
Carlo Putini - this is your basic Italian Cayenne type
Marconi
Golden Marconi
Lemme's Italian
Quadrato Di Asti Giallo
Quadrato Di Asti Rosso
Sigaretta de Bergamo
Friariello di Napoli

I highly recomment Italian Frying and Pepperoncini

As for using Cayenne for general seasoning, I would only grow Purple Cayenne or Golden Cayenne. Even then, I think there are better choices for peppers. If you want a really flavorful hot pepper, try Chapeau de Frade.

DarJones

Friggitello

Hey now everyone is giving me ideas! Thanks.

Keep them coming, but I think everyone gave me a lot so far.
Thanks again.

Hey DMF, if you think cayennes are flavorless, try a golden cayenne. They are about 2x as hot as a regular cayenne, but the part I like, when I bit into one the first thing I got was a very sweet flavorful pepper. I'm hooked.
Pam

I'm not talking about your cayenne flakes. I'm talking about the ones you buy in a store. I use my own cayennes raw - and I'm still not a big fan. (Never had the golden variety.)

I agree that Cayenne is the most universal for heating up Italian dishes, but alas, it is not that hot.

In some of your better spice shops they do have 80K Scovie cayenne powder so if you want it hotter than regular cayenne but like the flavor, try that.

Pizza is fair game though to whatever hot pepper, flake or powder I happen to have on hand. Jalapenos, Serrano, habanero, Bhut Jolokai and especially a healthy dose of cayenne.

Bhut Jolokai pizza!