Pepperonata
Our peperonata recipe is an Italian vegetable favourite packed with tender peppers, juicy tomatoes, olives and fragrant herbs.
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Ingredients
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, stir fry the peppers with a pinch of salt, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan.
Stir the onions into the same pan with the balsamic vinegar, cooking them gently till they wilt. Remove from the pan, adding them to the cooled peppers. Then add the tomatoes to the same pan and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in a teaspoon of thyme leaves and a teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary leaves with two of the cloves of garlic. Cook for a minute and then remove them from the pan. Add the olives to the same pan with a sprig of thyme, the remaining garlic and a few small bits of rosemary. Cook this for a minute and then add to the peppers and other ingredients. Combine them all and then serve them up on a platter.
An Italian pepper dish with plenty of personality!
If you’re looking for a side dish that brings sunshine to the table, this peperonata recipe is just the ticket. Originating in southern Italy, peperonata is a vegetable stew made by gently cooking sweet peppers with onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs until soft, glossy and full of flavour. It’s simple rustic Italian cooking at its most delicious - humble ingredients transformed into something special.
While this peperonata recipe is traditionally served as an antipasto or side dish, when it comes to options, there’s a range of peperonata dishes to consider. This colourful version combines sliced red and yellow peppers with red onions, cherry tomatoes and chopped garlic, softened in olive oil.
Load it onto crusty ciabatta for a bruschetta-type starter, or serve with grilled chicken, roasted lamb or seared fish. You can even pile it on top of creamy polenta. It’s also delicious tossed through pasta, folded into an omelette or served with burrata for a relaxed Italian-inspired lunch.
And if you’re looking for peperonata ideas to make this recipe your own, add a pinch of chilli flakes for extra heat, swap the cherry tomatoes for a rich tomato sauce, or stir through capers for more salty sparkle.
Once you’ve mastered this peperonata recipe and you fancy more antipasto inspo, how about crispy wild mushroom arancini with mozzarella, a fabulously fiery summer bruschetta with zesty olive spread and spicy candied bacon, deliciously moreish black pepper, parmesan and anchovy breadsticks, or a tasty tuna caper crostini. Buon appetito!
