Peperonata Rustica
(peh-peh-roh-NAH-tah roo-STEE-kah)
La Conserva: Late Summer Rituals and the Winter Pantry
Late August in Italy brings a beautiful, frantic energy to the kitchen as the nightshades reach their heavy, sun-ripened peak and grandmothers prepare for the encroaching winter. Peperonata Rustica is the ultimate expression of this ritual, a meltingly soft, olive oil-rich stew of sweet bell peppers and tomatoes that transcends a mere weeknight side dish. It is a true conserva meant to be sealed in glass, waiting for a freezing February Tuesday when the breaking of the vacuum seal releases the unmistakable aroma of a warm summer day straight into a suburban American kitchen.
Before you start
Clean the peppers meticulously.
Scrape away every trace of the seeds and spongy white inner membrane to ensure the peppers become deeply sweet and easily digestible.
Treat the basil with respect.
Tear the leaves by hand rather than chopping them with a knife to prevent bruising and preserve their essential oils.
Ingredients
- mixed red yellow and orange bell peppers3 lb
- red onions1 lb
- garlic cloves3 large
- tomato passata3 cup
- extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup
- white wine vinegar2 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- fresh sweet basil1 cup
Method
- 01
Sweat the aromatics low and slow.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and cook the onions and garlic gently for 10 to 15 minutes until perfectly translucent, taking care not to let them brown.
- 02
Introduce the peppers to the oil.
Add the sliced peppers to the pot, stirring well to coat them in the onion-infused oil, and let them cook uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until they begin to soften.
- 03
Simmer until the vegetables collapse.
Pour in the tomato passata and salt, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and drop the heat to the lowest possible setting to simmer gently for at least 45 minutes until the peppers lose their structure entirely.
- 04
Finish with the traditional agrodolce.
Remove the lid, stir in the white wine vinegar and sugar, and let it bubble for 5 minutes to cook off the harsh acetic bite before turning off the heat and folding in the torn basil.
- 05
Sterilize the glass jars.
If preserving for the winter pantry, boil four pint-sized glass mason jars and their lids in a large pot of water for 10 minutes, keeping them hot until ready to fill.
- 06
Fill and seal the hot jars.
Ladle the boiling peperonata into the hot jars leaving a half-inch of headspace, wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth, and screw on the bands until just fingertip tight.
- 07
Process in a boiling water bath.
Place a clean kitchen towel at the bottom of a large canning pot to prevent rattling, submerge the sealed jars under an inch of hot water, boil for exactly 20 minutes, then remove and let sit undisturbed until you hear the lids click into a vacuum seal.
Notes
Never use green peppers.
They are unripe and carry a bitter astringency that will completely ruin the sweet, sun-ripened profile of the final dish.
Do not rush the onions.
Sweating the onions slowly until they are translucent without a hint of browning is the absolute foundation of the flavor.
Let the dish rest before eating.
If you are not jarring the stew for the winter, let it cool completely; peperonata is always best served warm or at room temperature once the oil and tomatoes have fully emulsified.
From Cook Italian in America.