Peperoni Ammollicati, Peppers and Breadcrumbs

Peperoni Ammollicati is a good southern Italian side dish made with sauteed peppers, garlic, capers and breadcrumbs. It's simple to make and tastes so good. Suited to summer served with meat or fish.

Peperoni Ammollicati is a traditional side dish found in the south of Italy, mainly in CalabriaSicily and Puglia.

It's made with sauteed bell peppers, capers and breadcrumbs mixed with Pecorino, oregano and fresh parsley. There are a few different variations depending on the region which you can find more information on below.

This recipe is simple and good. It's become a favourite summer side dish for us served alongside grilled meats and other simple sides.

Ingredient notes

• Bell peppers – We like to do a mix of red and yellow bell peppers but you can use whatever coloured peppers you like. We recommend using some red for the sweetness.
• White crusty bread – stale white bread is better if you have it but you can blitz up fresh bread to fine crumbs as we'll be toasting them until nice and crispy. You can also use store-bought Italian Pangratatto (fine unseasoned breadcrumbs).
• Capers – We use capers jarred in brine and not salt so they don't need to be rinsed.
• Fresh parsley – We always use flat-leaf parsley and never curly parsley.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

1. Make the breadcrumbs – tear or cut the bread and blitz it into fine crumbs with a food processor. Toast them on a low heat in a dry pan until slightly golden then remove to a bowl to cool.

1. Make the crumb mixture – once the crumbs are cool, add the grated cheese, oregano and finely chopped parsley.
2. Saute the garlic – add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and saute the whole garlic clove until starting to turn slightly golden.
3. Saute the peppers – after sauteeing the garlic add the peppers cut into strips. Saute the peppers slowly on a medium-low heat until soft (about 20-25 minutes) season them with a pinch of salt to help them soften. Stir them every now and then so they don't brown too much.

1. Finish the dish – once the peppers are soft, add the capers and stir for 30-40 seconds. Finally, add about 4-5 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs mixture and stir it through, letting the crumbs soak up the oils. Check for seasoning and add more salt if needed then serve.

Recipe Tips

• Breadcrumbs – don't worry too much if you don't have stale bread as we'll be toasting the crumbs to make them nice and crispy.
• Toasting the breadcrumbs – do this on a low heat and keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly. Once golden transfer them to a bowl as they can burn if left in the pan to cool.
• Cooking temperature – don't turn the heat up too high or the peppers will brown too much.
• Adjusting the flavour – you can easily add more herbs, capers or cheese to taste. We personally don't like to add too much Pecorino to keep it on the fresher side but that's completely up to you.
• Storage – the peppers will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days and can be reheated or eaten at room temperature.

Swaps

Some variations include soaked and rehydrated raisins, pine nuts, anchovies (sauteed with the garlic), olives and fresh mint.

Another cheese commonly used is Caciocavallo, although this can be tricky to find outside of Italy.

Have fun trying out these different additions and variations to make it your own.

Serving suggestions

Peperoni Ammollicati are good served with grilled or roasted meats such as chicken spiedinipistachio-crusted chickensteak tagliata or pork or can be served with fish.

We love to serve this with other side dishes such as a simple arugula saladgrilled fennelroasted potatoes and salsa verde.

More good Italian side dishes to try

Sides

Italian Stuffed Eggplant (Mozzarella and Tomato)

Sides

La Peperonata – Bell Peppers in Tomato Sauce

Sides

Italian Green Beans In Tomato Sauce

Sides

Gorgonzola Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove (whole)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 oz (40g) white crusty bread
• 1 small handful fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Pecorino cheese (grated)
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• Salt

Method

1. Blitz the bread into fine crumbs then toast it in a dry pan on a low heat until slightly golden. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix the breadcrumbs with the pecorino and oregano, set aside.

3. Add olive to pan and saute the whole garlic clove until starting to turn golden.

4. Cut the peppers into strips and sauté in olive oil until soft, sprinkle them with salt to help them soften.

5. Once softened, add the capers and stir for a few seconds then add 4-5 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture (you can add more to taste). Stir so the breadcrumbs soak up the oils. Check for seasoning and add salt as needed then serve warm or at room temperature.

Kitchen notes

• 1. Breadcrumbs don't worry too much if you don't have stale bread as we'll be toasting the crumbs to make them nice and crispy.
  2. Toasting the breadcrumbs do this on a low heat and keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly. Once golden transfer them to a bowl as they can burn if left in the pan to cool.
  3. Cooking temperature don't turn the heat up too high or the peppers will brown too much.
  4. Adjusting the flavour you can easily add more herbs, capers or cheese to taste. We personally don't like to add too much Pecorino to keep it on the fresher side but that's completely up to you.
  5. Storage the peppers will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days and can be reheated or eaten at room temperature.