Traditional Peperonata Recipe
Peperonata is a classic Italian braised pepper dish made with sweet bell peppers, onions, garlic, and crushed tomatoes slow-simmered into a silky, deeply flavorful sauce. Serve it as a side dish, spoon it over pasta, or enjoy it bruschetta-style with crusty bread.
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.
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