Long, green, slightly gnarled and just the right amount of sweet, friggitelli peppers are a southern Italian staple. Outside of Italy, they're known simply as Italian sweet peppers and are sold at various Italian specialty shops.
There are several ways to enjoy the peppers – some like to grill them while others may incorporate them into a salad while still others prefer to bake them. Regardless, they're always lovely with tomatoes. This recipe prepares the peppers “alla Mediterrenea” incorporating some of the Mediterranean's most characteristic ingredients like black olives and cherry tomatoes.
Friggitelli Peppers “alla Mediterranea”
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Recipe: Caterina Perazzi
Skill Level: Easy
Time 1 hour
Ingredients to yield for 4 servings
22 oz./600 g . or 16 friggitelli peppers
7 oz./200 g. colored cherry tomatoes (i.e. red and yellow)
7 oz./200 g. stale bread
1 oz./25 g. toasted black olives, pitted
1 ⅓ Tbsp./20 g. semi-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp./15 g soaked raisins
fennel seeds
basil
garlic
sugar
lemon
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Combine the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, 1 pinch each of salt and sugar, 1 clove of garlic, and a few basil leaves. Mix well, then spread the tomatoes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 80°C/175°F for around 45 minutes.
Brown the friggitelli peppers in a pan with 3-4 Tbsp. oil over medium heat.
Chop the stale bread coarsely in a blender and brown it in a pan until toasted with oil, which will add flavor.
In a bowl, combine ½ clove of garlic, the zest of 1 lemon, raisins, 1 Tbsp. fennel seeds, olives, and semi-dried tomatoes, and mix. Next, add the toasted bread to the mixture when it's still hot. Mix well.
Distribute the friggitelli peppers into a serving dish, add the cherry tomatoes, and complete with the chopped aromatic bread and plenty of basil.