Mens sana in corpore sano. A sound mind in a healthy body.
This Latin phrase, which originates from the 1st century Roman poet Juvenal’s Satire X and is attributed to the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Thales, reflects the symbiotic relationship between physical health and mental acuity.
Regrettably, Italian food in the U.S. has garnered a reputation for being the least healthy of our myriad of ethnic cuisines. Worse than Mexican, Chinese, or Middle Eastern. Italo-American food is too often characterized by pasta, cheese and tomatoes, rich sauces, cured meats and heaping bread baskets.
This, quite simply, is a falsehood. Authentic Italian food is much more varied, locally-based and healthy. Each region of Italy specializes in foods native to its land. Food is locally sourced, and quality is valued. Fresh fruits and vegetables are staple foods. Pasta is balanced by rice and other grains, seafood and legumes are valued sources of protein, and meat is consumed more sparingly than it is stateside. Processed food is much less common and homemade meals are prioritized.
With this in mind, this week’s recipe is a healthy, vegetable-based dish that Stefano’s mom Maria often makes. Although it is a simple recipe, peperonata is a flavorful and beautiful marriage of red and yellow peppers, potatoes and onions, cooked slowly until the vegetables yield and release their lovely flavors.
Peperonata
Peperonata is a flavorful and beautiful marriage of red and yellow peppers, potatoes and onions, cooked slowly until the vegetables yield and release their lovely flavors.
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 small white onion
- 1-2 small on-the-vine tomatoes, or 1/2 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper, if desired
Instructions
Peel the potatoes and chop them into half-inch cubes.
Core and seed the peppers and cut them into one-inch square pieces.
Chop the onion into half-inch to one-inch pieces.
If using whole tomatoes, dice them and set them aside. Or, prepare your crushed tomatoes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes.
If you like a bit of heat, add a dash of crushed red pepper.
When the onions and peppers soften, pour in the white wine and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. If needed, add a little water to the peperonata to prevent it from sticking, and turn the heat down. Remove the lid for the final five to ten minutes in order to allow any excess liquid to cook off.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Peperonata stores well in the refrigerator and can be reheated easily for several days.
7 thoughts on “Peperonata”
I love peperonata! I just hate that peppers are so expensive over here! However my version of peperonata is pepper only. No potatoes at all, that is how much I like peppers…
One of my favorites. My grandmother made a killer version of this dish—but I never had it with potatoes, which sound very nice. Will have to try it!
Yes, most recipes are without potatoes. Stefano’s mom always added them, and so of course we do, too. It adds a heartiness that we like.
What would you recommend for a dry white wine for cooking? I noticed this and the Pesce spada al cartoccio both called for dry white wine. I am clueless when it comes to cooking with wine. Do you just go cheap or find something you’d want to drink?
We use common table wines – not the super cheap, but nothing fancy, either. Save the really good wine for drinking! Also, if we’ve opened a bottle to drink but don’t finish it all, we’ll often just use what is left for cooking. Some of the whites we often have on hand and might use for cooking are Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, a Sicilian white by La Mura, another Sicilian white called Antilia by Donnafugata.
Thanks! I went with a Pinot Grigio. The pepronata is simmering as I type this. Can’t wait to try it for dinner tonight!
That’s fantastic! Let us know what you and your Italian men think of it.
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