As a side dish, atop toasted bread and burrata, or added to your favorite sandwich, Peperonata is the recipe you never knew you needed!
Let’s take a trip today to Southern Italy for the delicious, stewed bell pepper dish known as peperonata. Don’t be put off by the long cooking time, as most of the time is spent with the bell peppers and a handful of other ingredients stewing slowly to develop the most intense flavors. Other than an occasional stir, there won’t be anything for you to do except sit back and wait for this savory side dish/condiment to be done.
As the name suggests, peperonata is all about the bell peppers. Don’t even think about using green peppers, as their lack of sweetness prevents them from being part of this dish. Although the recipe calls for red bell peppers, orange or yellow peppers are also suitable. For those unfamiliar with the ripening process of bell peppers, they go from green (immature) to yellow, orange, and finally red, which is the sweetest of them all.
Using a variety of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers may slightly decrease the sweetness, but the dish’s visual appeal makes up for it. The tricolor aspect is too nice to resist, in my humble opinion. By the way, if red bell peppers are out of season, you can use jarred, drained, roasted bell peppers in this recipe.
Finally, although the directions suggest serving this dish warm or at room temperature, I will say that placing the cold peppers on an Italian Sub or cold cut hoagie transports a simple sandwich into another stratosphere.
How to get the most flavor out of peperonata
There are a few things to remember, and some tricks I can share to help you enhance the flavor of your peperonata. First, pay close attention to the cooking temperature instructions. If your stove tends to run hot, switch from medium-low to low heat. The last thing you want is for your onions and garlic to burn. You may even want to wait until right before adding the peppers to add the garlic.
Next, you want the bell peppers to have time to soften before adding the ingredients, so don’t rush them. Stir them frequently to help move them around in the skillet, pressing down as much as possible. Finally, if you want to use this dish to complete an Italian meal, add some oregano, thyme, marjoram, or Italian seasoning to the tomato purée and other ingredients.
How do I store leftovers?
Allow leftover peperonata to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 1 month, then defrost it at room temperature for a couple of hours. Reheat it slowly on the stove until warm.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to use peperonata that I hardly know where to begin. It is excellent when used as an Avocado Toast Topping, to add another dimension to Zucchini And Eggs, or on top of these Crispy Air-Fryer Bagel Bites. Stir the refrigerated stewed peppers into this Caprese Pasta Salad or add them warm into this Spinach-Tomato Pasta. Serve them as a side dish with Italian Meatloaf, Crispy Pork Cutlets, Air-Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets, Braciole (rolled flank steak), or Baked Chicken Tenders. No matter how you serve it, any dish will benefit from the delicious inclusion of peperonata.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 cup tomato purée
- 1 1/4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped (for optional garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell peppers and cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the tomato purée along with the white wine vinegar, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Stir well, cover, and let it simmer on low heat for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust salt or sugar if needed.
- Serve your peperonata warm or at room temperature. Garnish with basil if desired.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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