Peperonata is a silky pepper, onion and tomato stew packed with assertive Italian flavor. It comes together in about 30 minutes and makes a great side dish for everything from a fancy roast to a simple frittata. You can even mix it with pasta and call it dinner!
My Family Peperonata Recipe
Peppers are the real star of this simple yet sumptuous Peperonata recipe – they may be a New World vegetable, but to me they are quintessentially Italian. They are important in the cuisine of southern Italy, including Calabria, Puglia and Abruzzo, where my family comes from. I love walking past a trattoria at lunchtime, hearing the clatter of plates and silverware and catching the sharp smell of pepper on the breeze.
This is a fairly traditional recipe with the (optional) addition of fennel for extra sweetness and texture. What I love most is how versatile Peperonata is. Pick up bruschetta or mix it with pasta. It is the perfect partner for any type of roast, grilled fish or steak. Enjoy it as a pizza topping or add it to scrambled eggs. Here are just a few ideas!
Also, peperonata keeps well in the refrigerator and its flavor improves as it sits. Do it ahead of time—you’ll thank yourself later!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Peppers in full season, one pan, minimum effort — maximum flavor!
- Slow simmering is a technique, but the EVOO does the hard work.
- Endless versatility – serve as a side dish, dip, topping for bruschetta or folded into eggs.
What’s in Peperonata?
While Sweet Pepper is the star of this show, there are some important supporting roles. Here’s what you’ll need to make this peperonata recipe:
- Extra virgin olive oil: Stewing peppers in olive oil softens their assertiveness and accentuates their sweetness. Be sure to use a good quality medium oil like our Nocellara.
- Yellow onion and garlic enhance the sweet and savory flavor of the pepperonata.
- Fennel: This crunchy, anise-flavored vegetable isn’t traditional for peperonato, but it provides texture and a nice sweetness, so I almost always add it (the same goes for my potato lentil soup – I just can’t resist adding fennel!) I like to dice the fennel bulb medium, but you can slice it thin if you prefer.
- sweet pepper: You can stick with the classic red bell pepper or add some color by including yellow and orange in the mix. The most important detail is to make sure the peppers are ripe and not watery. They should feel heavy for their size with no soft spots. Avoid green pepper as it is too bitter.
- capers: This powerful ingredient helps to enhance the flavor by adding a salty hint. You can use either brined capers or salted capers, but if you use salted capers, be sure to rinse them well.
- Tomato sauce: A cup of tomato sauce brings the peperonata closer together. I use a simple sauce recipe from my Pasta al Pomodoro, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Balsamic vinegar: The burst at the end of cooking really brings out the sweetness of the vegetables. You can use regular balsamic or white balsamic. Just make sure it’s good quality – find our advice on choosing the best balsamic vinegar in our guide to reducing balsamic vinegar.
- Fresh basil and mint: Like balsamic vinegar, these fresh herbs add a bright finish as well as a splash of color.
How to make Peperonata
The right peperonata recipe should be mild, savory and sweet. It only takes a few steps to achieve. Give the vegetables the time they need to simmer in the olive oil – about 30 minutes – to bring out their natural sweetness.
Prepare and soften the vegetables
- Prepare the vegetables. Remove the stalks from 2 pounds sweet bell peppers. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and white parts. Slice the pepper lengthwise a little thinner than 1/2 inch. Cut 1 yellow onion into thin half moons. Remove the stems from the fennel, cut the onion into quarters and into thin strips. Lightly crush and peel 2 cloves of garlic.
- Vegetables will soften. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a cold skillet. Add the pepper, onion, fennel and garlic and turn the heat to medium. Toss to coat the vegetables with the oil. Heat the vegetables slowly for 10 minutes, until they boil. Season with a pinch of salt and simmer for another 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. If necessary, reduce the heat to medium or low to prevent the onions or peppers from burning.
- Add 1 cup tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon capers. Stir to incorporate them into the peperonata and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and all the vegetables are silky and tender.
- The season. Increase the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Allow to boil for 1 minute; then lower the heat and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Finish and serve. Mix 1/4 cup of torn fresh basil and mint leaves into the peperonata. Let the stew sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Peperonata can be served warm, room temperature or cold.
Can you make the peperonata ahead of time?
Yes! Peperonata is a great recipe to make. The longer the pepper sits, the more the flavors combine and deepen. Hell, peperonata can be served warm, room temperature, or cold, depending on how you want to enjoy it.
For storage: Store peperonata in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What to serve with peperonata
This peperonata recipe is so versatile that you’re really only limited by your imagination. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- With fish: Try salmon pesto with breadcrumbs, shrimp or baked fish with garlic and basil.
- With meat: Beef tagliat or pan-seared lamb chops.
- With eggs: Fried eggs, a frittata, or a potato omelet.
- Topping for bruschetta or crostini. Cut the peperonata into confetti-sized cubes and spoon it over grilled bread, fougasse or crostini made with olive bread. Drizzle with good olive oil.
- pizza Make this homemade Neapolitan pizza crust and top it with pepperonata; it goes perfectly with thick mozzarella cheese. This is one of my favorite pizza toppings.
- Pasta. Spoon in the chopped peperonata paste, add some freshly grated Parmigiano cheese and a little cooking water to loosen things up a bit, and mix well. This preparation works especially well with short, firm pastas like packers or rigatoni, but you can also make your own homemade noodles.
- Polenta it’s a great gluten-free option that serves as a base for peperonata.
More Italian side dishes
- Stuffed artichokes
- Tuscan beans and greens
- Sauteed Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)
- Italian green beans (Genoese green beans)
Stewed peppers
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Ingredients
- 1/4 a cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for watering
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly slice
- 1 fennel bulb, quarter and thinly slice
- 2 pounds sweet ripe bell pepper (about 6 pieces), thinly sliced (red or a mixture of red, yellow and orange)
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly grind and peel
- Kosher salt
- 1 a cup tomato sauce (preferably homemade)
- 1 a tablespoon capers, rinse and dry
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 a cup torn fresh leaves of basil and mint
Instruction
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Gently boil the vegetables. Pour the oil into a large frying pan or pan with a thick bottom. Add the onion, fennel, pepper and garlic and turn the heat to medium. Stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and partially cover. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm.
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Add the tomatoes and capers. Stir in the tomato sauce and sprinkle over the capers. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the vegetables are nicely coated, soft and shiny.
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To finish. Increase the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar. Boil for 1 minute; then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another couple of minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in basil and mint. Let the pepperonata sit for about 10 minutes. Discard the garlic, then drizzle with a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
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