This is a fun and playful recipe that is versatile and great for leftovers for that very reason! I’ve played around with various ingredients. They all work well and bring something to the table. I encourage you to play around with this recipe and see what works for you. You could add some green bell pepper or even make this with or without the artichoke hearts. It can be dependent on what you’re using the Peperonata for i.e. on crusty bread like we do here, or perhaps you want to spoon it over grilled swordfish…Have fun with Peperonata year round!
If it’s warm out, you’re serving these as an app over crusty bread and you want to start with something fresh, I’d go with the 2020 Domaine de Marquiliani ‘Vin Gris’ Rosé from Corsica. It will keep the dish bright and enhance the sweet bell pepper flavor. In turn, the Peperonata will bring out a little salty flare to the wine immediately transporting you to the Corsican coastline.
If you are serving this as a side dish at dinner, I would go for the 2018 Girolamo Russo ‘A Rina’ Etna Rosso. Serve it with a slight chill and enjoy how it adds a touch of smokiness to the dish and brings out the savory elements without overpowering it. Yum! I’m buying a bottle as I write this.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 red bell peppers
- 1/2 of an Eggplant
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup basil ribbons
- 1/4 cup lemon zest
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
Slice the tomatoes in half, slice the garlic and red onion into slivers. Throw everything into a bowl. In a skillet, heat olive oil and then add the tomato mixture. Bring to high heat and mix everything together in the skillet. Bring the heat back down to simmer and let the tomato mixture cook through to the point where the tomatoes start to release their juices. Crack some black pepper into the mixture and continue to stir. Do not season will salt just yet.
While the tomato mixture continues to cook, prepare the vegetables by cutting the peppers and eggplant into 1-inch pieces or however big/small you’d like them to be (this is more about preference). Chop the artichoke hearts and set everything aside in a bowl.
Prepare the basil ribbons and pluck the parsley leaves, zest the lemon, and set aside in a bowl.
Add the red wine vinegar to the tomato mixture in the skillet and bring the heat up to medium-high. Add in the peppers/eggplant and mix everything together. Add more olive oil as needed to ensure everything is coated. Crack more black pepper into the mixture and mix some more. Add a handful of the herbs and lemon zest while leaving enough set aside for garnishing.
Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so until the peppers are soft.
At this point, the Peperonata is ready to be served! Whether you are serving it over swordfish, pasta, or crusty bread – It’s a crowd-pleaser! I like to make enough for leftovers. Since it’s so versatile, it’s nice to have in the fridge to be warmed up and repurposed.
If you’re spooning over crusty bread, we suggest toasting the bread in the oven first with some olive oil and then spreading any sort of sheep/goats milk soft cheese onto the bread followed by the a spoonful of the Perperonata. Garnish with sea salt and the remainder of the lemon zest/herb mixture. You can drizzle some olive oil on top as well!
