Chef Graziella
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Culinary Explorer
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Peperonata all'Italiana
Created by
Sweet peppers stewed slowly with tomato until silky and collapsed. A dish that proves patience creates depth, and that the best summer cooking requires the least interference.
Appetizers & Snacks
Italian
Potluck
Make Ahead
20 min
Active Time
1 hr cook•1 hr 20 min total
Yield6 servings
Peperonata is what happens when you leave sweet peppers alone with good olive oil, a little tomato, and time. The peppers surrender completely. They become silky, almost jammy, their natural sugars concentrated by slow evaporation. This is not a quick sauté. This is gentle persuasion.
The dish belongs to the south of Italy, where peppers grow fat in the summer sun and cooks have learned that the best way to honor them is restraint. You do not need herbs fighting for attention. You do not need excessive garlic turning everything acrid. You need peppers, tomato, oil, and the patience to let them become what they want to become.
Peperonata improves as it sits. Make it in the morning for dinner. Make it Saturday for Sunday. The flavors deepen, the textures meld. This is summer preserved in a jar, wonderful at room temperature when you need something that required effort but demands none from your guests.
Peperonata emerged in southern Italy after Spanish traders introduced peppers from the New World in the 16th century. The dish became a staple of Campanian and Calabrian home cooking, where summer's abundance of peppers needed preserving. Families would make large batches to eat throughout the week, discovering that the dish only improved with time.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
mixed bell peppers
Quantity
2 pounds (about 4 large)
red and yellow
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/3 cup
yellow onion
Quantity
1 medium
sliced thin
San Marzano tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (14 ounces)
crushed by hand
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
peeled and lightly crushed
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
red wine vinegar
Quantity
1 tablespoon
fresh basil leaves
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| mixed bell peppersred and yellow | 2 pounds (about 4 large) |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/3 cup |
| yellow onionsliced thin | 1 medium |
| San Marzano tomatoescrushed by hand | 1 can (14 ounces) |
| garlic clovespeeled and lightly crushed | 2 |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| red wine vinegar | 1 tablespoon |
| fresh basil leaves | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide 12-inch skillet or braiser with lid removed
- •Wooden spoon
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the peppers
Wash the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the stems, seeds, and white ribs. Cut each half into strips about one inch wide. Do not fuss over uniformity. They will collapse into one another as they cook.
- 2
Start the onion and garlic
In a wide, heavy skillet or braiser, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and the crushed garlic cloves. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. The garlic perfumes the oil. You will remove it later.
A wide pan is essential. The peppers need room to release their moisture and stew, not steam in a pile. - 3
Add the peppers
Add all the pepper strips to the pan. They will seem like too much. They are not. Stir to coat them with the oil. Season with salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the peppers begin to soften and release their juices, about 15 minutes.
- 4
Add the tomatoes
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Stir everything together. The tomato should coat the peppers, not drown them. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the peperonata simmer gently, uncovered, stirring from time to time.
Never cover the pan. The liquid must evaporate slowly. Covering creates steam and makes the peppers watery instead of silky. - 5
Cook until collapsed
Continue cooking until the peppers are completely tender and have collapsed into the tomato, the liquid has reduced to a thick, clinging consistency, and the oil has begun to separate and glisten on the surface. This takes 35 to 45 minutes. The peppers should be silky, not al dente. Fish out and discard the garlic cloves.
- 6
Finish with vinegar
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust salt. The vinegar brightens the sweetness of the peppers. Let the peperonata cool to room temperature before serving. This is when it tastes best.
- 7
Serve properly
Transfer to a serving dish and scatter fresh basil leaves over the top. Serve at room temperature with good bread for scooping. Peperonata is also excellent spooned over grilled bread that has been rubbed with garlic, or alongside grilled meats and fish.
Chef Tips
- •Use red and yellow peppers for sweetness and color. Green peppers are more bitter and do not belong here. If you see green in an Italian peperonata, someone has made an error.
- •The garlic is infused, not featured. Two cloves, lightly crushed, removed before serving. This is how garlic should behave in most Italian cooking.
- •Store peperonata in the refrigerator for up to one week, but always bring it to room temperature before serving. Cold mutes the flavors and tightens the texture.
- •A splash of good vinegar at the end is traditional in many regions. It brightens the sweetness without making the dish sour. Taste before adding more.
Advance Preparation
- •Peperonata improves over 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator. The flavors marry and deepen. Make it ahead whenever possible.
- •Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Add fresh basil only at the moment of serving.
- •The dish keeps refrigerated for one week. It does not freeze well; the peppers become watery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 220g)
Calories
180 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
380 mg
Total Carbohydrates
14 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
9 g
Protein
3 g
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