Peperonata

Peppers stewed down slowly in their own liquid, finished with a little vinegar.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 6 peppers, red and yellow, in wide strips
• 2 onions, sliced
• 300 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• a few basil leaves
• 1.5 teaspoons salt

Method

1. Cut the peppers into wide strips, not dice. They collapse considerably and diced they disappear into the tomato.
2. Soften the onions in the oil for 15 minutes, then add the garlic and the peppers.
3. COVER AND STEW ON A LOW HEAT FOR 40 MINUTES WITH NO LIQUID ADDED AT ALL. The peppers give up a great deal of water and that water is the cooking medium — added stock makes a watery stew with peppers in it.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook uncovered 20 minutes more, until the liquid has reduced and the whole thing is glossy.
5. ADD THE VINEGAR IN THE LAST TWO MINUTES and let it cook off. Early, it turns the peppers tough and the sweetness goes; at the end it lifts a dish that is otherwise entirely sweet.
6. Season and tear the basil in off the heat.
7. It is a dish in itself and not a sauce, eaten warm or at room temperature, and better the next day.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Italy · All recipes