🇮🇹 Italian · Side Dish
🫑 Peperonata
Peperonata
Sweet bell peppers slowly stewed with onions, tomatoes, and a touch of vinegar until soft and richly flavored — a versatile southern Italian side that improves with a day's rest.
Peperonata's success lies entirely in patience, letting the peppers and onions cook low and slow until they collapse into a soft, sweet, almost jammy stew rather than remaining crisp-tender vegetables.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large heavy pan with lid
- 5 bell peppers, mixed colors, sliced into strips
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 300 g (10.5 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh basil, torn
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Warm the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions and peppers with a pinch of salt.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelize.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar, and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until the peppers are very soft and the sauce has thickened.
- Uncover for the final few minutes if the mixture needs to reduce further.
- Season to taste, finish with torn basil, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Chef Tips
- Low, slow cooking is essential — rushing over high heat leaves the peppers unevenly cooked rather than meltingly soft.
- This dish is often even better the next day, once the flavors have had time to meld.
- A splash of vinegar balances the natural sweetness of the peppers and onions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Cooking over heat that's too high, which can scorch the vegetables before they properly soften.
- Serving immediately without letting the flavors rest and develop.
- Using only one color of pepper, missing the natural sweetness variation that mixed colors provide.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C; a naturally vegan, plant-based dish.
Cultural Note
Peperonata appears across southern Italy as a versatile side dish, condiment, or sandwich filling, prized for how well it keeps and how its flavor deepens with time.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days; flavor improves after a day.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature or reheat gently on the stovetop.
Serve with: Crusty bread, Grilled meats or sausages, As a topping for bruschetta