These sweet Italian frying peppers are a popular dish in the south of Italy. Sweet and easy to grow, these peppers can be prepared in many different ways and make for a great pizza topping or antipasto side dish. Everybody loves eating fried peppers. You might not think that’s true, but it is. You just have to find the right way to prepare them.
Italian Frying Peppers – 3 Delicious Ways To Cook
This recipe of Italian Frying Peppers makes for a delicious veggie side dish or a pasta sauce for the next day.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- ▢1.5 lb Italian frying peppers , approx 700 g
- ▢2 garlic cloves
- ▢5-10 fresh basil leaves
- ▢Extra virgin olive oil
- ▢Vinegar to taste
- ▢Salt , pepper to taste
- ▢Anchovies (optional)
Instructions
- Start by rinsing peppers under cold water.
- If you decide to cook them whole simply skip to the next step. Otherwise using a small sharp knife cut of the top with the stem.Remove the seeds. You can speed up cleaning process by cutting the top part a quarter of an inch lower from the stem. This helps remove the seeds faster.Rinse peppers again in cold water to remove any remaining seeds.
- In a large pan add generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves and peperoncino. Cook for 2-3 minutes.At this point you can add a couple of anchovies (optional) and stir until dissolved.
- Add Italian frying peppers (whole or previously deseeded).
- Cook on high heat for a few minutes then reduce to medium and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes or until tender.
- Peppers should release enough juice while in the pan but feel free to add some water if the pan is getting too dry.
- Once peppers are cooked add basil leaves, a splash of vinegar (see notes) and salt to taste. Give another good stir. Let vinegar evaporate and turn the heat off.
- Serve with freshly ground black pepper or top them with crumbled feta cheese.
Notes
Add small amount of vinegar to start with, taste and add more if needed.
Italian Fried Peppers
Italian Fried Peppers, a fast, easy and tasty side dish. Made with only a few ingredients, peppers never tasted so good! This pan-fried dish is the perfect compliment to any meat dish.
I remember fried peppers from when my Mom would make them. I didn’t like them then but I sure do love them now. I think they make the perfect side dish with a grilled steak or pork chop. One of our favourite side dishes.
Peppers frying on the stove has one of the most delicious aromas in my opinion, my Mom loved fried peppers so much, she would make a sandwich with any leftovers!
How to make it
In a medium frying pan add the oil, garlic, sliced peppers, spices and water. Cover and cook until soft and tender, uncover and cook until water dissolves and peppers are cooked to your liking.
What are the best peppers to use
I like to use regular bell peppers, I like to combine a green, red and yellow pepper. We find all red makes the dish too sweet. But you choose. If you wish you can also use Frying Peppers that are available at the grocery store. They are a type of sweet pepper with a thin skinned wall.
What is the difference in the colours of peppers
Red peppers have the most nutrition, next yellow/orange and then green. Green are actually picked when they are still unripe, which makes them a little bitter. Red peppers are considered ripe and have the most nutrition, because they’ve been on the vine the longest. Red peppers also have 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C, than the green ones. Therefore the different colours actually do taste different. Green is the most bitter. The yellow/orange and red are much sweeter, with red being the sweetest.
What to serve with them
I love to serve fried peppers with a grilled steak, pork chop or even chicken. My husband and kids love to eat them with some crusty Italian bread. Or do like my Mom and make a sandwich!
How to store
Any leftover cooked peppers should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. They will keep for 3-5 days if stored properly.
So if you are looking for a simple and easy side dish, then these Italian Fried Peppers could be it. Let me know if you try it. Buon Appetito!
Italian Fried Peppers
Italian Fried Peppers, a fast, easy and tasty side dish. This pan-fried dish is the perfect compliment to any meat dish.
- PREP TIME: 10 mins
- COOK TIME: 20 mins
- TOTAL TIME: 30 mins
- COURSE: Side Dish
- CUISINE: Italian
- SERVINGS: 4 servings
- CALORIES: 89 kcal
INGREDIENTS 1x2x3x
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 large bell peppers (red, green or yellow or choice) sliced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup water (61 grams)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium/large frying pan add the oil, garlic, sliced peppers, oregano, salt and water. Cover and cook on medium heat until soft and tender about 10 minutes, then uncover and cook until water dissolves and peppers are cooked to your liking. Enjoy!
NUTRITION
Calories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 150mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 455IUVitamin C: 99mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
Stuffed Italian Frying Peppers
Say the words “stuffed peppers” and I would guess that most people think of the version with ground beef and rice stuffed into green bell peppers. Today’s recipe – these Stuffed Italian Frying Peppers – are something totally different and totally delicious! These Stuffed Italian Frying Peppers are a traditional recipe made using Marconi peppers – long, narrow, sweet Italian frying peppers with a distinctive smoky flavor. (Cubanelle peppers will also work in this recipe.)
The Stuffed Italian Frying Peppers are filled with a savory and super flavorful mixture of Italian bread, tomato sauce, black olives, anchovy paste, Romano cheese, garlic, basil and parsley. Next, the stuffed peppers are fried briefly in oil, then baked in the oven smothered in tomato sauce until cooked through. One bite of these delicious Stuffed Italian Frying Peppers – and you’ll think you’ve been transported to a kitchen in Italy!
Stuffed Italian Frying Peppers
Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
PREP: 15 minsCOOK: 45 mins
TOTAL: 1 hour
Scale:1x2x3x
INGREDIENTS
- 8–10 Italian frying peppers such as Marconi or Cubanelle (about ½ pound)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces in weight of Italian bread, crusts removed and cut into cubes
- 3 cups Italian tomato sauce, divided or purchased
- 25 pitted oil cured black olives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste or 6 anchovy filets mashed fine
- ½ cup Romano cheese grated, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash peppers, trim off tops and using a teaspoon, dig out seeds and ribs. Rinse and let dry.
- In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat, place the two tablespoons of olive oil and once hot, place cubed bread into oil and toss and cook to brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove toasted bread and any oil to a large bowl. The skillet will be used later in this recipe.
- Pour one cup of tomato sauce over the cooked bread and squish it into the bread with your hands or use a heavy whip. The mixture should be completely mixed to a mushy finish.
- Add olives, anchovy paste, Romano, garlic, basil, parsley and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Divide filling between the peppers, pressing the stuffing in to the end. OK if a little hangs out.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (Note: most Italian pepper recipes don’t finish in the oven and are cooked entirely on the stove top. I think they get too dark doing it that way so I cook half on the stove to brown and finish in the oven to cook through.)
- Using the same cast iron skillet as before, heat the ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat.
- Dry the outside of the peppers of any water so they don’t splatter when cooking.
- Once the oil is hot, cook the peppers in the hot oil in two batches. Turn and cook until each batch is browned, about 15 minutes each. You may still need a splatter screen.
- Pour one cup of sauce into a casserole dish large enough to fit all of the peppers.
- As each batch is cooked, transfer to the prepared casserole dish and once the dish is full, cover with the remaining cup of sauce.
- Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve with additional grated Romano cheese.
Fried Peppers With Garlic
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings:4 servings
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 260 | Calories |
| 27g | Fat |
| 5g | Carbs |
| 1g | Protein |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Looking for a quick and easy recipe to entertain your guests before the main course arrives? This simple recipe for the famous Spanish pimientos fritos con ajo (fried peppers with garlic) will be a crowd-pleaser. Suited for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets, it’s a great addition to your menu and easy on your wallet.
Fried peppers with garlic is very versatile and requires very little time to make. You might see this simple tapa offered in Spain alongside slices of rustic bread, but you can also serve it as a hot or cold side dish, as a sandwich topping, or offer it with other cold dishes like pasta or potato salads.
In Spanish cuisine, peppers are present in as many as 50 percent of recipes due to their great variety and the extent to which they’re farmed. For this dish, use mild green chiles, such as green pasilla (or poblano) chiles or green Anaheim chiles paired with sweet red bell peppers. You could use other types of peppers, but the result might be less authentic compared to the original Spanish dish.
Ingredients
- 2 large mild long green chile peppers, such as Anaheim or pasilla
- 2 red bell peppers
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Crusty bread, for serving, optional
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients.
- Rinse the peppers with cold water and cut off the stems. Slice the peppers in half, lengthwise, and discard the seeds and veins.
- Cut the flesh of the peppers into large pieces. You should end up with pieces about 1 1/2 inches square.
- Peel all the garlic cloves and mince. You can also use a garlic crusher or a cheese grater to speed up the process.
- In a large frying pan, add the olive oil and warm it over medium heat.
- When the olive oil is hot, add the peppers and garlic into the frying pan. Stir often until peppers are soft; this will also prevent the garlic from burning.
- Salt peppers to taste. Remove the peppers from the pan and place in a serving dish.
- To serve as a tapa, spoon some of the peppers onto slices of crusty, rustic bread or baguette. You could also arrange slices of bread next to a bowl with the peppers and provide a spoon for your guests to top the bread slices themselves. Enjoy hot, warm, or cold.
Tips
- Remember that olive oil has a smoke point considerably lower than other vegetable oils. If the pan smokes, discard the oil and start again to avoid a bitter flavor in your food.
- You could also blend the peppers and use the thick preparation as a flavor base for a vegetable soup or rice.
How to Store and Freeze
- These fried peppers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days.
- You could double or triple the amounts in the recipe and freeze the peppers in a container or freezer bag for up to a year. Remember to label the bags.
- When you want to use the frozen peppers, thaw them in the refrigerator and use them within three to four days.
- They will work well as a tapa or side dish when thawed and heated.
French Fried Pepper Rings
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SERVES4COOK TIME2 Min
Take a break from French fries and onion rings and fry up some bell pepper rings today. Youll love the crunchy change of pace!
What You’ll Need
- 4 green or red bell peppers (or a combination of both)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra for sprinkling
What to Do
- Slice tops off peppers and remove seeds; cut each pepper into 1/4-inch rings. Place 1 inch oil in a soup pot and heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat milk, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Reduce heat to medium. Dip a few pepper rings into batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl. Carefully place rings in oil one at a time; fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, turning halfway through cooking. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all pepper rings are fried, adding more oil as needed.
- Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.