Easy Peperonata Recipe
Peperonata is an easy Italian dish made with extra-virgin olive oil, peppers and sweet onion. Slowly cooked, this classic Italian recipe is perfect as a side dish, or a condiment. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 695kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound red bell peppers use also a green bell pepper, if you have on hand
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion
- 1 cup tomato puree or passata, optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt more, to taste
- Fresh herbs optional
Instructions
- Prep peppers: Cut the peppers in half and remove seeds and white membranes. Cut into ¼ inch strips.
- Prep onion: Peel onion and slice thinly.
- Heat pan: Place a skillet or frying pan over medium low heat. Add olive oil and once it’s hot and shimmering, add in and the onions. Cook, stirring, until soften (about 5 minutes).
- Cook onions: Keep cooking another few minutes until they soften more, then add in the pepper slices. Stir to combine.
- Cook onions and peppers: Cover with a lid, and let the peppers slowly simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Check on the peppers, and give them a stir so they’re not sticking. Add a little bit of water if they seem to be sticking, and stir, cover with the lid again.
- Remove the lid and simmer: Take off the lid and keep slowly simmering. If you’re adding in tomato passata or sauce, add it in and stir to combine.
- Add in salt: Season with salt. Give it another stir and if it’s sticking more and too thick, add a little bit more water, and stir, to loosen.
- Keep simmering: Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. The peppers should soften and be tender, but not broken down and mushy.
- Check the seasoning: Add a bit more salt, if needed, to your taste.
Notes
- Peppers: Use whatever peppers you have on hand, but red bell peppers will make the sweetest peperonata. You could use also orange or yellow (for sweetness). I added in a green pepper because I wanted to cook it up.
- Onions: Sweet or Vidalia onions will give the best flavor. Use whatever onions you have on hand or what you prefer.
- Cooking time: The time to cook will vary depending on the peppers. Keep an eye on them, and they should be soft, but not totally falling apart.
- Cooking temp: The temperature should be a medium-low, but every stove is different. Adjust the heat as needed so that they are slowly stewing and not burning.
- Seasoning: Add as much or as little salt according to your flavor preference. Start with less and you could always add more, if needed.
- Fresh herbs: Optional, but you could add fresh basil (or any fresh herb you like).
Nutrition
Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Sodium: 2418mg | Potassium: 2108mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 15538IU | Vitamin C: 608mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 7mg