Pepperonata

A community recipe by Mandy_C

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

This is one of my all-time favourite side dishes. In fact, I love it so much that I will happily eat a big bowlful of it on its own, with just some crusty bread and butter, or tossed through pasta. It works equally well hot or cold, so is a perfect recipe for those lazy summer lunches with friends and family, or for picnics. I think it is best somewhere between room temperature and hot out of the pan, so it's perfect for making ahead. I love it with lamb, chicken, fish, halloumi, or as a relish on burgers.. the list is endless!

Ingredients

Serves: 2-4

3 tablespoons olive oil (good quality)
1 large onion (thinly sliced)
1 clove garlic (thinly sliced)
1 pinch of saffron strands
1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 red pepper (de-seeded and sliced into strips)
1 yellow pepper (de-seeded and sliced into strips)
6 plum tomatoes (ripe, or vine tomatoes - roughly chopped)
1 pinch of sugar

Method

Pepperonata is a community recipe submitted by Mandy_C and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide, shallow pan. Add the onion and fry gently for a few minutes, until it is soft and transculent. You don't want to colour the onion.

Add the sliced garlic, chilli flakes and saffron and fry for 1 minute. Add the sliced peppers to the pan, and stir everything together until it is well mixed. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the peppers are just starting to soften.

Add the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of sugar, and the remaining tbsp of olive oil. Cover, and cook over a gentle heat for up to one hour, taking the lid off for the last 10 minutes or so to allow the juices to thicken.

Additional Information

I sometimes add a slosh of balsamic vinegar after the garlic and spices, before adding the pepper - it adds another layer of flavour that is quite interesting.