Peperonata: Italian Sweet Pepper Stew

Peperonata is a wonderful Italian summer dish made by slow cooking peppers in a rich tomato sauce. Serve as antipasto, a sauce for pasta, or as a relish for grilled and barbecued meats.

Peperonata is a popular summer dish in Italy, when peppers are at their best. It is prepared using bell peppers, onions and tomatoes simmered together to produce a sweet, tangy dish with rich flavour. The beautiful vibrant colours and fresh flavours of this simple dish delight the senses and it is often enjoyed as an antipasto with crusty bread, or as a sauce for pasta. 

For more antipasti ideas try our Two Bean Salad, and Tuna & Cannellini Bean Salad.

The slight acidity also makes this a great side for grilled meats and fish, or as a relish in a burger/sandwich.

Peperonata tastes even better when prepared several hours ahead as this allows the flavours to really come together. I always make a large batch to keep in the fridge for a delicious easy addition to dishes or snacks.

Across Italy there are many regional variations to this dish, some of which you can find below.

Jump to:

• About the ingredients
• Top tip
• Variations
• What to serve with peperonata
• Make ahead and storing
• FAQs
• You may also like ...
• Recipe
• Reviews

About the ingredients

Italian food is all about using top quality ingredients for great flavour.

Select firm glossy red, yellow, orange or green peppers.

We like to use red onions as they have a milder and sweeter flavour, but white ones work well too.

Use a good brand of canned tomatoes, we like the fresh flavour of Cirio chopped tomatoes.

Capers are optional, so you can leave them out, but they do add an extra layer of flavour to the dish. Dry salted capers have a more intense flavour compared with those sold in vinegar or brine. To use salted capers, rinse them first in a bowl of water to remove excess salt before adding them to the dish. 

Tear rather than chop the basil leaves, into halves or quarters for maximum flavour, before adding them to the dish. 

To finish, drizzle over some olive oil before serving. There is a huge difference between a good quality olive oil and the cheaper varieties which do not have good flavour when served as a dressing. Check out these tips on How to Select A Good Quality Olive Oil .

Do you need to peel the peppers?

No it isn't necessary, the slow cooking softens the skins and they provide a good deal of nutrients.

Some traditional Italian recipes do call for peeling, usually by charring the peppers under a grill first and slipping the skins off. It gives a silkier, more refined texture and a faint smokiness and it is worth doing if you are serving peperonata as a standalone antipasto for guests. But it adds a good twenty minutes and for everyday cooking, the difference is small. Cook the peppers slowly enough and the skins soften into the sauce.

Variations

There are regional variations to peperonata as you travel round Italy and families have their favourite versions. Here are some you might like to try:

Sicilian style - add a handful of raisins and pine nuts stirred in near the end, for the sweet and sour agrodolce character typical of the south, plus a little extra vinegar balances it.

With aubergine - add a diced aubergine along with the peppers for a heartier dish, closer to caponata.

With potatoes - common in rustic home cooking, particularly in the north. Add small cubes of potato with the peppers and cook till tender, turning it into a one-pan meal.

With anchovies - stir two or three anchovy fillets in the oil with the garlic in the first step. They will dissolve completely, adding savoury depth without tasting fishy.

With olives - a handful of black olives added with the capers gives a richer, earthy result.

Spicy - a pinch of dried chilli flakes halfway through cooking for a bit of a kick.

Peperonata vs ratatouille vs caponata

These three Mediterranean vegetable dishes are often confused with each other and while they share a some resemblance, each is quite different.

Peperonata is Italian and mainly with peppers cooked down with onion and a little tomato until sweet and soft. It is the simplest of the three.

Ratatouille is French, from Provence. It is built on a few ingredients: aubergine, zucchini, peppers, onion and tomato in roughly equal measure. No single vegetable dominates.

Caponata is Sicilian with aubergine; it is sweet and sour from vinegar and sugar, plus celery, olives and capers.

TLDR: peperonata is with peppers, ratatouille is a mix and caponata uses aubergine and the agrodolce balance.

What to serve with peperonata

Peperonata is unusually versatile - it can be a starter, a side, a sauce or a filling.

It is best served at room temperature or slightly warmed, alongside grilled or barbecued meats, in a burger, stirred into pasta or simply with warm bread. Try it:

As antipasto - at room temperature with crusty bread to mop up the oil and juices, with olives, cured meats and cheese.

With grilled and barbecued meat - its acidity cuts through richness, making it a natural partner for sausages, lamb chops, steak or chicken. One of the best summer barbecue sides there is.

Stirred through pasta - toss with short pasta and a little of the cooking water, finished with torn basil and parmesan.

In a sandwich or burger - as a relish, particularly good with sausages or grilled chicken in a ciabatta.

With eggs - alongside fried or poached eggs, or baked into a shakshuka style dish.

With fish - the sweetness works beautifully with grilled or pan-fried white fish.

Make ahead and storing

This is also a great make ahead dish as the flavours really come together while resting.

Prepare in advance then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, the olive oil helps preserve the freshness, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQs

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