The sweet and sour peppers are a delightful summer side dish, easy and quick to prepare. The sweet and sour note makes this side dish good to enjoy both hot and cold. The procedure is similar to that used for caponata but with a result similar to a peperonata.
If you like tasty side dishes, don’t forget to read the recipe
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Fall
- Energy 165.90 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 20.87 (g) of which sugars 18.95 (g)
- Proteins 2.53 (g)
- Fat 7.71 (g) of which saturated 1.02 (g)of which unsaturated 0.01 (g)
- Fibers 4.91 (g)
- Sodium 587.48 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 5 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 people
- 2 peppers
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsps sugar
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup water
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Pan 8-9 inches
Procedure
The sweet and sour peperonata is a variation of the classic Sicilian caponata, but with fewer ingredients and quicker to make. In the base recipe, I use a limited amount of vinegar, but if you like the sour taste, you can increase the amount up to double.
For good sweet and sour peppers, I recommend using ripe and in-season products, so they will have more flavor.
For a better result, you can also use peppers of different colors by mixing yellow and red, orange, or green.
Cut the pepper into slices, removing the central part. To speed up the operation, you can do as shown in the video.
Once you have the pepper pulp, cut it into cubes or strips.
Now cut the onion into thin slices and put it in a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until completely golden.
When the onions begin to wilt, add the chopped peppers and cook over high heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the peppers from burning.
Continue cooking, stir gently and if necessary, add half a cup of water to avoid drying out too much. The sweet and sour peppers should be almost creamy.
After 15 minutes, the peppers are cooked. All you have to do is add the vinegar, sugar, and adjust with salt. Stir and let the vinegar evaporate a little. If the vinegar taste is too strong, continue cooking, as the vinegar evaporates with heat.
Your sweet and sour peppers are ready!
Plating Tips:
You can serve this dish in a bowl to bring to the table for all diners, or serve directly on serving plates with the main dish you have cooked.
Wine Pairing for Sweet and Sour Peppers:
I recommend pairing the wine based on the main recipe you will serve this side dish with. You can serve with a dry white wine that balances the sweet and sour notes, such as an Etna Bianco.
