Grilled, Marinated Jimmy Nardello Peppers

By Alexa Weibel

Published Oct. 30, 2024

Grilled, Marinated Jimmy Nardello Peppers
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(32)
Comments
Read comments

Prized for their flavor — savory but sweet, even faintly fruity — Jimmy Nardello peppers are  easy to spot because of their spindly shape and fire-truck-red hue (though they can also be consumed when green and at their most peppery). Named for Jimmy Nardello, whose parents imported the seeds from southern Italy in the late 1800s, the peppers were once mostly limited to farmers’ markets and restaurant menus. But now, they are popping up in supermarkets as supply rises to meet demand. For cooking, they don’t need much more than heat and a sprinkle of salt. Here, they are grilled until charred and slumped, then tossed with vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs. Enjoy them as soon as they soak up the marinade, served over grilled bread and cheese, or squirreled away in the fridge for later, to be tossed into salads, tucked into sandwiches or stirred into a pot of pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1pound Jimmy Nardello peppers
  • 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for grilled bread and garnishing, if desired)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
  • 1small garlic clove, finely grated
  • ½teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or dried oregano)
  • ½teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
  • Grilled bread (optional), for serving
  • Fresh stracciatella, ricotta or burrata (optional), for serving
  • Torn fresh basil leaves (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

156 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 282 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the grill to medium-high.

  2. Step 2

    On a large rimmed sheet pan, drizzle the whole peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

  3. Step 3

    Grill the peppers until fragrant, grill-marked underneath and just starting to slump, 2 to 4 minutes, closing the grill as they cook. After they’ve cooked on one side, flip them over, shift them accordingly and cook on the opposite side, 2 to 4 minutes, until grill-marked and tender, transferring the peppers to a large bowl as they finish cooking.

  4. Step 4

    Immediately toss the warm peppers with the vinegar, garlic, thyme, crushed red pepper (if using) and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season again to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    If you’d like to grill your bread, brush the cut slices with olive oil on both sides, season with salt and pepper and grill until grill-marked.

  6. Step 6

    Serve marinated peppers immediately, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. For a lavish starter, swipe some cheese on grilled bread, pile peppers on top, sprinkle with torn basil and drizzle with additional olive oil.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
32 user ratings
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Comments

Nanu

If all you can manage is steps 1-3, you’re golden. These little babies are so flavorful they really shine without any further embellishment. Cook a bunch, because it’s hard to stop nibbling them as is. The marinade et al sounds fab for any less stellar peppers. And yes, these are such tender-skinned delights I don’t think it would be possible to peel them. Enjoy!

Shorty Attentionspan

Isn't the grilled skin unpleasant to eat? I usually put grilled peppers into a paper sack then peel off the softened skin for a silkier result.

T. Smith

@Shorty Attentionspan, the skin softens more than other peppers, they’re best just as described.

Maria

Shining flavors

dimmerswitch

Truly tasty. Made recipe as written except using grill pan on gas cooktop to char / slump the peppers. The secret word is "immediately" in step 4 and the hot peppers absorb the dressing flavors. Unlike red bells, Nardello skin is tender to eat and almost all the seeds are contained right near stem end so not a lot of seeds in the body of the pepper. Removing seed 'cap' after cooking is easy.

Thomas Susinno

Finally found some and they really are amazingly tasty. But the seeds, all of them, should be removed after grilling. They are VERY tough and took away from the final product.

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