Peperonata
If you’ve never made Peperonata before, consider this your sign. Sweet peppers, onions, garlic, and crushed tomatoes slow-simmered into the most gorgeous, silky Italian condiment. It’s one of those recipes that makes your whole kitchen smell incredible and costs almost nothing to make!
I first had peperonata at a small Italian restaurant where they served it spooned over grilled bread, and I genuinely could not stop eating it. I went home that night and looked up what it even was, and when I saw how simple it is to make, I was almost annoyed I hadn’t been making it for years!
For anyone unfamiliar, peperonata is a traditional dish from Italy make of slowly braised bell peppers in a tomato sauce with onions and garlic. It’s one of those recipes that feels special but is so easy to make! Serve it as a side dish, a sauce over pasta, a dip with crusty bread, or spooned over toasted baguette bruschetta-style, it genuinely works for all of it.
If you love peppers as much as I do, my ricotta stuffed peppers are another great way to put them to work!
Why You’ll Love This Traditional Peperonata Recipe
- It’s a true one-pan dish. Everything comes together in a single skillet which means minimal cleanup, maximum flavor.
- The flavor gets better with time. Peperonata is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. Make it ahead and thank yourself later.
- It’s incredibly versatile. Serve it warm as a side dish, room temperature as an appetizer over bread, or toss it with pasta for a quick weeknight dinner. It fits into almost any meal.
- Just a handful of ingredients. You only need bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh basil. Simple pantry ingredients doing big things.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free. No swaps required! This recipe is already there, making it a great option for tables with mixed dietary needs.
Ingredients You Need
- Bell peppers: Use a mix of red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, and green peppers for a balance of sweetness and slight bitterness. Red and orange peppers bring the most sweetness.
- Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil here since it’s the base of the dish. You’ll taste it.
- Onion: Cut into thin slices so it softens and melts into the sauce as it cooks. One large onion is perfect.
- Garlic cloves: Thinly sliced rather than minced, which gives a mellower, sweeter garlic flavor as it cooks low and slow.
- Crushed tomatoes: The braising liquid that ties everything together. Canned crushed tomatoes work beautifully here.
- Kosher salt: Season generously. The salt helps draw moisture out of the peppers and balances the sweetness of the bell peppers.
- Black pepper: Just enough to add a little warmth in the background.
- Fresh basil: Added during the simmer and again at serving.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add capers and olives for a Sicilian-style peperonata. They add a nice briny flavor.
- A splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar at the end adds brightness and balances the sweetness of the peppers beautifully.
- Use fresh tomatoes when they’re in season instead of canned! About 2-3 large Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped.
- Stir in a fried egg and serve over toast for an incredibly satisfying quick meal.
How to Make Easy Peperonata
- Sauté the Aromatics: Place a skillet over medium low heat. Pour in olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté the vegetables until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add Peppers: Add the bell peppers and continue to cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers get soft.
- Add Tomatoes: Pour the crushed tomatoes the pan. Season with salt, black pepper and add a sprig of fresh basil.
- Simmer & Enjoy: Cover and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes until the sauce is thickened and bell peppers are soft and tender. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread, bruschetta style.
Tips for Success
- Keep the heat low. This is not a recipe to rush. Medium-low heat the whole way through is what gives you those soft, silky peppers and a sweet, deeply flavored sauce. High heat will give you browned, slightly bitter peppers instead.
- Slice everything thinly and evenly. Thin, uniform slices of both the onion and peppers ensure everything cooks at the same rate. Thick pieces take much longer to soften and can give you an uneven texture.
- Let it simmer with the lid on. Keeping the lid on during the 30 minute simmer traps steam and helps the peppers cook down without drying out the sauce. If the sauce looks too thick near the end, add a small splash of water.
- Make it ahead. Peperonata is genuinely one of those recipes that improves overnight. If you have time, make it the day before and reheat gently before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These Italian peppers are one of the most versatile things you can have in your fridge. Serve it warm as a side dish alongside grilled chicken, steak, or a whole fish, or spoon it over pasta for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner. It pairs especially well with something hearty like this Italian sausage and red pepper pasta!
At room temperature, it’s incredible spooned over toasted baguette slices bruschetta-style with a drizzle of good olive oil. It also works beautifully as a sauce for eggs or on top of baked potatoes!
Storage Suggestions
- Refrigerator: Store peperonata in an sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It genuinely gets better after the first day, so leftovers are something to look forward to.
- Freezer: Yes, this peperonata recipe freezes well! Let it cool completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop.
- Meal prep: Peperonata is an ideal make-ahead recipe. You can make a big batch at the beginning of the week and use it throughout as a side, a pasta sauce, on eggs, or on toast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peperonata is a classic Italian dish made by slowly braising sweet bell peppers with onions, garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil until everything is tender, silky, and deeply flavorful. It’s a staple across southern Italy and works beautifully as a side dish, a sauce, or a spread on crusty bread.
Caponata is a Sicilian sweet and sour dish made with eggplant as the star ingredient, along with celery, olives, capers, and vinegar. It has a more complex, tangy flavor profile. Peperonata, on the other hand, is simpler and sweeter, centering on bell peppers braised in tomatoes with just onions and garlic.
Peperonata is sweet, savory, and deeply rich. The slow cooking process draws out the natural sugars in the bell peppers and caramelizes the onions, creating a sauce that tastes far more complex than its ingredient list would suggest. It has a soft, jammy texture!
More Side Dishes to Try
- Crispy Smashed Chickpea Salad
- Irish Colcannon
- Lentil Salad with Roasted Eggplants
- Zaalouk
- Moroccan Shakshuka
Traditional Peperonata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers red, green and orange, seeded and cut into strips
- 3-4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh basil to taste
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium low heat. Pour in olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté the vegetables until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell peppers and continue to cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers get soft.
- Pour the crushed tomatoes the pan. Season with salt, black pepper and add a sprig of fresh basil.
- Cover and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes until the sauce is thickened and bell peppers are soft and tender. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread, bruschetta style.
Notes
- Keep the heat low. This is not a recipe to rush. Medium-low heat the whole way through is what gives you those soft, silky peppers and a sweet, deeply flavored sauce. High heat will give you browned, slightly bitter peppers instead.
- Slice everything thinly and evenly. Thin, uniform slices of both the onion and peppers ensure everything cooks at the same rate. Thick pieces take much longer to soften and can give you an uneven texture.
- Let it simmer with the lid on. Keeping the lid on during the 30 minute simmer traps steam and helps the peppers cook down without drying out the sauce. If the sauce looks too thick near the end, add a small splash of water.
- Make it ahead. Peperonata is genuinely one of those recipes that improves overnight. If you have time, make it the day before and reheat gently before serving.
