Roasted Sweet Peppers

If you love the sweet, smokey flavors of Roasted Sweet Peppers, this is a recipe you won't want to miss!

Roasted peppers in the oven are so easy to make at home with the natural sweetness and flavor of peppers being intensified and deepened during roasting.

I learnt how to prepare roasted sweet peppers when I was a young child. This recipe has always been a staple in my home especially growing up when we grew all our own vegetables.

While the garden was in full swing, my mother would make roasted sweet peppers regularly and freezing them for later.  Roasting sweetens and intensifies the flavor of the sweet peppers. You can use in them on focaccia, pizzas and in pasta dishes.

The Italian way to dress roasted peppers is simply with good olive oil, sliced fresh garlic and a sprinkle of salt. The slice garlic will impart good flavor, you don’t have to eat it! If you like anchovies, reduce the salt and instead add a few anchovies to add seasoning and extra flavor.

Roasted Sweet Peppers pair well with fried meatballs, spiedini and my Italian chicken thighs. Another regular side dish on our family table is Italian style green beans and potatoes.

Ingredient notes

• Sweet peppers - Use any type of sweet pepper. Make roasted mini peppers, roasted bell peppers or roasted red peppers, they're all part of the sweet pepper family. Be sure to choose firm, unblemished peppers that feel heavy for their size and have smooth skin. You can use other colored sweet peppers, such as green or yellow, however I find the green, in particular, are harder to peel.
• Olive oil - I will show you how to roast peppers in the oven without the need to add any oil. However, once you have roasted sweet peppers, you'll want to marinate Italian style and that where olive oil comes in. Use an olive oil you like the taste of. Extra virgin olive oil can also be use. Keep in mind that olive oil will solidify at cold temperatures so remove the marinated peppers from the fridge some time before serving.
• Garlic - fresh garlic gives the best flavor. Jarred garlic is too strong for this recipe.
• Salt - use your favorite salt or what you have on hand.
• Anchovies - this is an optional ingredient. Traditionally my mother-in-law adds a few fillets of anchovies. The choice is yours.

Instructions

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 425ºF or 220ºC.

1. On a rimmed baking sheet place whole sweet peppers in one layer. No oil or anything else!
2. Pop into a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
3. Turn peppers over and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes. (By now your kitchen is filled with gorgeous aromas!)
4. Check peppers. Mostly likely they're soft and blackened. Remove.
5. Allow to cool slightly before peeling, de-seeding and cutting into strips.
6. Mix together olive oil, sliced garlic and salt. Add the roasted sweet peppers. Toss gently to combine. Allow to marinate 30-60 minutes before serving

Hint: If you make roasted mini sweet peppers, the roasting time will be much less. Keep an eye on them and turn when one side is becoming blackened.

What is the best way to roast peppers?

In my opinion, the best way to roast peppers is in the oven. It's easy and no fuss. Simply pop whole sweet peppers onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a hot oven until charred and blackened. The whole peppers steam inside, soften and the skin on the outside lifts easily.

However, there are a few other methods which you may have seen in cookbooks or on various sites.

• You could hold a red pepper over a flame (with tongs, of course!) but this means you can only roast one pepper at a time which is slow and dangerous!
• Alternatively you could slice each pepper in half, scoop out the seeds, lay then cut side down on an oven pan and roast them under the broiler. With this method, I find it hard to get an even roasting on all sides.
• What about an open fire? Sure, throw them in and go for it. Just be careful with this method that you don’t completely burn your peppers. You will have to be very vigilant!

This is why the best way to roast peppers in in the oven.

Tips for Success

Use a rimmed baking sheet to catch the juices that the sweet peppers will release. You can line the baking sheet with aluminum foil to make cleaning up easier. Avoid using parchment paper because it is likely to burn in the high heat of the oven.

The roasting time will vary depending on the size of the sweet peppers. Mini sweet peppers take a lot less roasting than large bell peppers. The time indicated in the recipe is for roasting sweet peppers that are a medium size.

Allow the sweet peppers to cool a little before using a paring knife or your fingers to remove the blackened skin which will be quite loose. If the skin doesn't seem loose, place the peppers in a plastic bag while still warm for 10 minutes. This will help lift the skins.

FAQ

Serving Suggestions

These Roasted Red Peppers are the perfect accompaniment for chicken cutlets, or butterfly chicken. I love it in a pasta salad or included in a delicious antipasto with Instant Pot Cauliflower and ciabatta garlic bread.

Now that you know how to make roasted sweet peppers, you'll never want the jarred version again!

More Italian recipes you'll love

Cavatelli - easy handmade pasta.
Italian Rice Balls - also known as arancini.
Bagna Cauda - warm anchovy dip.
Cannoli Cake - all the delicious flavors of cannoli in a cake!
Italian Fried Peppers - another great summer dish.

Made this recipe?
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