Subtly flavored, charred to perfection and swimming in a concoction of deliciousness, these roasted Italian peppers are a treat for your taste buds!
They’re low calorie, low carb and gluten free, making them a great choice for those with dietary constraints too.
Roasted peppers are an absolute classic accompaniment in Italian cuisine, and if you, like me, love how the use of simple ingredients can sometimes create magic, you’ve got to give this recipe a shot.
I love experimenting and trying out different condiments that I can make and store for weeks, if not longer.
Quite recently, I have been trying out a lot of Italian recipes specifically. My basil gremolata and tomato garlic confit were both absolute hits, and those delicate flavors actually inspired me to make these roasted bell peppers.
All it takes is a few minutes to whip up this delight of a condiment, and you can refrigerate it for weeks, ready to be put to use!
Jump to:
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Ingredients For the Roasted Italian Peppers Recipe
- How to Make Roasted Italian Peppers
- Substitutions & Variations
- 💭Top Tip
- Equipment
- How to Store Roasted Italian Peppers
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Serving Ideas & Suggestions
- FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Italian Roasted Sweet Peppers
What's So Great About the Recipe?
I absolutely love how simple and effortless this recipe is. These Italian roasted sweet peppers taste so much better than the jarred versions out there, and are actually pretty healthy too.
Plus, they’re incredibly versatile- you can enjoy them as an appetizer or serve them as a side dish with any of your favorite Italian mains.
I love teaming them up with my Italian-style chicken cutlets- it just transforms it into a complete meal that’s lip-smackingly delicious.
Ingredients For the Roasted Italian Peppers Recipe
To make these easy Italian roasted peppers, here’s what you’ll need.
Bell peppers: I used regular red bell peppers to make these Italian roasted red peppers. You can use long hot peppers if you like a bit of heat.
Garlic: I used fresh garlic cloves for that extra flavor. You can use minced garlic or even some garlic powder if you want to.
Honey: Honey lends a beautiful sweetness to the roasted peppers. You can skip this if you want to keep the dish vegan.
Vinegar: To balance out the sweetness from the peppers and honey, you can use some vinegar. Regular white vinegar should do the trick well.
Olive oil: You’ll need a lot of olive oil to make these roasted Italian peppers. The oil helps preserve the peppers for a longer time.
Herbs: I used a lot of different Italian herbs including basil, oregano and thyme. You can use the dried or fresh variety- whatever you prefer.
Seasonings: This easy and delicious recipe uses just a few seasonings. I used some red pepper flakes, black pepper powder and salt. You could also use some garlic bread seasoning if you want to.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Roasted Italian Peppers
Ready to try this homemade roasted peppers recipe? To start, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and dry the peppers. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a baking sheet with some thyme and garlic and bake for 20-30 minutes.
Allow the peppers to cool down and remove the charred skin as much as you can. Once the peppers are cool enough, cut the peppers into strips.
Add them to a bowl or a glass jar with the rest of the ingredients and set aside for a few hours.
Refrigerate the jarred peppers for up to a day and use whenever needed!
Substitutions & Variations
- This recipe calls for the use of a simple vinaigrette of Italian herbs and spices, honey and some vinegar. If you want, you can just choose to marinate the sweet peppers in olive oil and the herbs.
- If you don't have vinegar but still want to lend a bit of a tangy flavor to these roasted peppers, some lemon juice can do the trick.
- If you can, use high quality extra virgin olive oil for this easy roasted Italian peppers recipe. The flavor and deliciousness it will bring into it is unmatched.
- Depending on your personal preference, you could experiment with different types of peppers. You could also use a mix of different varieties of peppers if you want to.
💭Top Tip
If you're planning to make these oven roasted sweet peppers for a party or guests, consider making them days in advance. Doing this will allow the flavors to develop even more!
Equipment
How to Store Roasted Italian Peppers
To store roasted peppers and almost any other condiments and make-ahead recipes, I like to use meal prep containers that are sturdy, airtight and affordable.
If you don't have these containers, you can also use any glass jar with a lid. Just remember to use a clean spoon to serve the peppers, and refrigerate the leftovers immediately.
These jarred roasted peppers can last for a week in the refrigerator if handled well, if not longer. Make sure the peppers are completely covered in oil before you refrigerate them.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Remember to use the best, juiciest and most and plump peppers that you can get your hands on.
- Make sure your oven is at the highest possible temperature under the broiler option, and is preheated before you put the tray in. The point is to emulate flame high heat to get that nice char on the skin of the peppers.
- To help make peeling the burnt skin off easier, transfer the peppers, still hot, out of the oven, in a bowl and cover the peppers with a plate or a lid and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. The steam and condensation will make it much easier for you to peel the skin.
- You can also cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes and then peel the peppers.
- You can also choose to freeze these roasted sweet peppers if you want to. Just make sure you use a freezer safe bag or container to keep the freezer burn away.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
You can serve these roasted Italian peppers in a number of different ways.
Top them on your morning toast along with some fresh basil leaves and crumbled feta or goat’s cheese, or use it as a topping for your homemade pizzas.
These roasted peppers can also elevate your pasta salads, and can be a fantastic side to your grilled meats and proteins. Remember to cut peppers into smaller chunks, or if you don’t mind the larger pepper strips, add them in just like that.
I also think they can be a great base for homemade pasta sauces and pesto's or practically any other Italian inspired condiment.
You can also feature these on an antipasto platter or a charcuterie board with some crusty Italian bread like bruschetta or a baked brie.
FAQs
You sure can! You can use green, yellow and orange peppers for this recipe too!
Red peppers are the ideal choice because they have that perfect bright color, but you could use any of these or even a mix of two or more of these peppers.
You can! Just remember that pan frying the peppers won’t get that perfect, even char on the outside, which means you probably won’t be able to remove their skin off as effortlessly as you would if you would have broiled them.
You can grill the peppers on a grill pan, an outdoor or an indoor grill. Just remember to allow them to cool down completely, remove as much of the blackened bits as you can, and then slice them and use them for the recipe.
You sure can- these peppers can stay fresh for months in the freezer. Once you have a big batch ready, allow it to come to room temperature, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Italian Roasted Sweet Peppers
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 4 red bell peppers medium
- 5-10 basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tsbp honey
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Place them on a baking sheet with some thyme and garlic and bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Allow the peppers to cool down and remove the charred skin as much as you can. Cut into strips.
- Add them to a bowl or a glass jar with the rest of the ingredients and set aside for a few hours.
- Refrigerate for up to a day and use whenever needed!
Notes
Remember to use the best, juiciest and most and most plump and wrinkled peppers that you can get your hands on.
Remember to use a clean spoon to serve the peppers, and refrigerate the leftovers immediately. These jarred roasted peppers can last for a week in the refrigerator if handled well, if not longer. Make sure the peppers are completely covered in oil before you refrigerate them.
