Peperoni Ripieni alla Calabrese

Calabria sits at the toe of Italy's boot, a land of mountains and coastline where the sun beats down without mercy and the food reflects both the sea and the steep hillside gardens. These stuffed peppers are cucina povera at its most resourceful: small, round sweet peppers filled with pantry staples that every Calabrian household keeps on hand.

The filling requires no meat because it needs none. Tuna packed in olive oil provides richness. Capers, those small explosions of brine and funk, cut through the richness. Breadcrumbs bind everything together and turn golden in the oven. Some families add a few olives. Some add a whisper of anchovy. The pepper itself, baked until it collapses slightly and sweetens, becomes the vessel that holds it all.

These are antipasti, meant to be eaten at room temperature with your fingers or a small fork, passed around a table before the meal begins. They improve after resting for an hour, which makes them ideal for the host who does not wish to cook while guests are arriving.