Stuffed Italian green peppers
The Italian peppers that I use for this dish are small, tender and sweet green peppers, called ‘friggitelli’ in Sicily. They can be enjoyed from June to October and are very versatile in the kitchen. I love them plain, pan-fried with olive oil and salt, but I must admit that they are also delicious when stuffed and prepared in the oven! They have a very fast cooking time and stuffed they are a simple and tasty summer dish. For the stuffing I have chosen the classic Sicilian seasoning with onion, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and capers, flavoured with mint and basil. You can optionally add either tuna in oil, if you serve them as a second course, or raisins if you serve them as a side dish or first course.
Ingredients
- 10 medium-large friggitelli peppers
- extra virgin olive oil, e.g. from il circolo
- 2 shallots onions
- 2 anchovies in oil
- 5 Piccadilly tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons salted capers
- 4 slices of soft white bread
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 80 g tuna in oil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sultana raisins
- a sprig of basil and mint
- 1 fresh chilli pepper (optional)
- salt and pepper
Method
- Wash the friggitelli peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. With a paring knife, remove the white part with the seeds.
- Meanwhile prepare the stuffing. Finely chop the onions, the anchovy filets, the washed capers, and the tomatoes. In a wide bowl, pour in a little olive oil, add all ingredients and mix well.
- Finely cut the slices of white bread, a sprig of basil and mint and mix with the grated cheese. Add everything to the mix.
- At this point decide whether to add the tuna in oil or the raisins. Mix well, taste and adjust with salt and pepper. I suggest to add some finely chopped fresh chilli pepper, but don’t over do it, as you do not want it to over-power all other tastes.
- Place the peppers on a baking tray where you have drizzled a little olive oil and stuff them with the seasoning. Doing it with your hands will be much easier! Sprinkle them with a little Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake in the oven at 200° for about 20 minutes on the middle shelf. Remove from oven, let cool a bit and serve!
