How to make Roasted Red Peppers

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

Let me show you my favorite way to make Roasted Peppers. Soon you’ll be eating them with every meal or snack.

Roasted Red Peppers or capsicum as they are known in Australia, have 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.

Which red peppers to select?

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.

Let’s get on to the roasting part.

There are a few of ways to roast red peppers 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.

Or 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!

My Roasted Red Peppers are super easy and delicious!

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? By preparing my Roasted Red Peppers like this, I save time by roasting in bulk. Furthermore 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!

How to use Roasted Peppers

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 roast chicken. Why not make a salsa dip by substituting roasted red peppers for tomatoes or add them to your taco bowls. I love it in a pasta salad or in a panino with cheese and prosciutto.

Now that you know how to make your own Roasted Red Peppers you’ll never want the jarred version again!

Baci,

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Roasted Red Peppers

How to make Roasted Red Peppers in the oven the Italian way.

5 from 3 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 capsicum6 large red peppers or capsicum
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil approx4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil approx
• 1-2 garlic cloves chopped1-2 garlic cloves chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes or to taste1/2 teaspoon salt flakes or to taste
• 6 anchovies optional6 anchovies optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°/400°F
•  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

Roasted Red Peppers can be stored with the dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 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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Thank you for sharing!