How to Roast Red Peppers

Learn how to roast red peppers with my family recipe. It’s my fav way to eat red peppers. And soon you’ll be like me – eating them with every meal or snack!!

Roasted red peppers are so easy and flavorful that you’re going to want to make these regularly.

I learnt how to roast red peppers (or capsicum in Australia) when I was a small child. This recipe has always been a staple in my home especially growing up when we grew all our own vegetables. While the peppers were plentiful, my mother would be roasting them all the time and freezing them for later.  Roasting sweetens and intensifies the flavor of the sweet pepper.

Ingredient notes

Of course the most important part is selecting the best red peppers to roast. Be sure to choose firm, unblemished peppers or capsicum that feel heavy for their size. You can use other colored peppers, such as green or yellow, however I find the green, in particular, are harder to peel.

Instructions

I prefer and recommend this method for Roasted Red Peppers. This is my family recipe.

• Take a baking pan
• Place whole red peppers in one layer in the pan. No oil or anything else!
• Pop into a hot oven for 20 minutes.
• Turn peppers over.
• Roast for another 20 minutes. (By now your kitchen is filled with gorgeous aromas!)
• Check peppers. Turn again to evenly char.
• Roast for a further 10-20 minutes.
• Remove. Allow to cool slightly before peeling and de-seeding.

I can hear you asking why this method? I learnt how to roast red peppers like this because that’s what my mamma did. If fact, all my family use this method.

Roasting a whole pepper creates steam inside the pepper which softens the flesh but doesn’t break it down completely.

Finally, with the red peppers in the oven, I am free to have cup of tea or get on with whatever I’m doing. The only interruption is to turn the red peppers twice in that time. Super easy!

Serving suggestions

The Italian way to dress Roasted Red Peppers is simply with good olive oil, chopped fresh garlic and a sprinkle of salt. The chopped garlic will impart good flavor, you don’t have to eat it!

If you are an anchovy lover, like I am, omit the salt and instead add a few anchovies to add salt and piquancy.

These Roasted Red Peppers are the perfect accompaniment for your next picnic spread, barbecue or butterfly chicken. I love it in a pasta salad or in a panino with cheese and prosciutto.

Now that you know how to roast red peppers, you’ll never want the jarred version again!

More Italian recipes you’ll love

Cavatelli – easy handmade pasta
Italian Rice Balls
Bagna Cauda – warm anchovy dip
Cannoli Cake

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How To Roast Red Peppers Recipe

How to roast red peppers in the oven the Italian way.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings:12 people as an appetizer

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 large red peppers or capsicum
• ▢ 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil approx
• ▢ 1-2 garlic cloves chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt flakes or to taste
• ▢ 6 anchovies optional

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F/200ºC.
•  Place whole red peppers in one layer in the large baking pan. No oil or anything else!
• Pop into the preheated oven for 20 minutes. At this point the skin on the peppers should start bubbling and loosening.
•  Using tongs, turn peppers over by about a third so that they cooked evenly.
•  Roast for another 20 minutes. By now your kitchen is filled with gorgeous aromas and the peppers should be starting to char.
•  Check peppers. Turn them over again so that the most uncharred area is on top.
•  Roast for a further 10-20 minutes. You may need more or less depending on how large your peppers are. When done, the peppers should be at least 50% blackened, the skin should look loose and wrinkled and the peppers should be starting to collapse.
•  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
•  Using your fingers, peel off the blackened skins. Pull at the stalk and remove the stalk and seeds. Most of the seeds should come with the stalk.
• Cut or pull apart the roasted red peppers. This is easy to do using the natural segments in the peppers. Remove any remaining seeds.
•  Dress with extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic and a sprinkle of salt. Anchovies are optional but traditional in my family.
•  Serve warm or cold.

Notes

How to store – store with the dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To freeze – place undressed roasted red peppers in click seal bags, remove excess air before freezing. Defrost in refrigerator then proceed with dressing or serve as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1865IU | Vitamin C: 76.1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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