Peperonata
Updated July 8, 2025
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 6tablespoons olive oil
- 4large, sweet bell peppers of various colors (preferably not including green), stemmed, seeded and sliced thin
- 1large red onion, peeled and sliced thin
- 3tablespoons capers
- 3tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 2tablespoons fresh oregano
- red-pepper flakes, to taste
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat half of the olive oil in a large pan set over high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add, in batches, the peppers and onion, and cook, tossing often, until the peppers have softened but have not yet gone slack in the heat. Remove each batch to a large bowl.
- Step 2
When you are done with the peppers and onions, return the pan to the stove and set over high heat. Add remaining olive oil, allow to get hot, then add the capers. Cook until fragrant and almost crisp, then add the mixture to the bowl of peppers and onions.
- Step 3
Turn the flame off under the pan and add the vinegar, allowing it to reduce in the dying heat to about half its volume, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the vinegar over the peppers, add oregano and redpepper flakes, then toss well to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Private Notes
Comments
Living here near Florence my Tuscan neighbor here taught me to make it this way- to put plum tomatoes (marzano) in too and let it simmer until its all reduced...really divine. And it can double as a pasta sauce of course.
I was taught hear in Tuscany to add plum tomatoes (Marzano) and basil (along with the rest of above ingredients leaving out the red wine vinegar if you prefer) and let it all simmer around 40 min until reduced-not just an antipasto with bruschetta but makes a great pasta sauce as well.
Since I cook for one, I love making a large portion of this, chilling it and then freezing it in smaller portions. I then use it for a quesadilla, frittata or pasta. It’s a wonderful condiment to have on hand.
I made this as written as I was long on bell peppers. Three stars. What would I do differently? 1. Cook red and orange peppers separately. The orange peppers required more cooking time. 2. I’d cook the peppers longer and LET them go slack. 3. Maybe add some garlic. 4. Add less oregano. 5. Maybe add some diced tomatoes and/or tomato paste. As some famous chef once said, ‘Happy cooking.’
I add tomatoes and basil too to my peperonata, but I roast the pepper first, peel and sauté them with the onions. It intensify the flavour.
Since I cook for one, I love making a large portion of this, chilling it and then freezing it in smaller portions. I then use it for a quesadilla, frittata or pasta. It’s a wonderful condiment to have on hand.