Peperonata
Peppers and onions cooked down slowly in their own liquid until they collapse into something sweet and jammy. Hot, cold, or on bread the next day.
Photograph credit: Peperonata by Cirimbillo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Before You Start
Lid on and low heat for the first half hour. They must sweat, not brown.
Lid off at the end so the liquid goes and the sugars concentrate.
Vinegar off the heat, or you will not taste it.
Photograph credit: Peperonata e polpette by Giacomo Milano · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Making Peperonata
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Cook the onions in the oil in a wide pan over low heat 12 minutes, until soft and sweet.
-
Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
-
Add the peppers, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have collapsed.
-
Add the tomatoes and cook uncovered 20 minutes, until the liquid has gone and the mixture is thick and glossy.
-
Take off the heat and stir in the vinegar and the basil.
-
Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Why It Works
The heat stays low and the lid stays on for the first half hour, because the peppers have to sweat out their own water before anything else can happen. On high heat they brown at the edges and stay squeaky in the middle. Once they have collapsed the lid comes off and the liquid boils away, which is when the sugars concentrate and it turns jammy. The splash of vinegar goes in at the very end, off the heat — cooked into the pot it just disappears, added at the end it makes the sweetness legible.
Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping
Refrigerated for 5 days and better on the third. Freezes 3 months.
Swaps and Variations
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Serving Peperonata
- Grilled meat
- Bread
- A fried egg on top
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Italian cooking and dinner ideas from Weekly Delight.
Pomodori Ripieni
Roman style tomatoes filled with rice, basil and garlic and baked with potatoes for 40 minutes until the edges catch.
Peperoni Ripieni
Peppers stuffed with breadcrumbs, olives, capers and tomato and baked for 45 minutes until soft and lightly charred.
Cauliflower Risotto
Cauliflower rice cooked like risotto with onion, stock and peas, then stirred creamy with Parmesan and butter. Four…
Tomato Sauce
A basic sauce of tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic and olive oil, simmered until thick and sweet.
One Pot Ratatouille
Aubergine, courgette, peppers, tomatoes and onion simmered together in one pot with garlic and thyme for 40 minutes…
Briam
A Greek tray bake of potatoes, courgettes, aubergine, onion and tomatoes roasted in olive oil and herbs.