Peppers, Stuffed and Otherwise

Peppers are natives of the New World that the Spaniards brought home with them from their voyages of discovery (see Christopher Columbus's Gastronomic persona for a discussion of this). We're fortunate that they did; while the tomato is perhaps the vegetable (fruit, actually) that people most associate with Italian cooking, it would be dull and dreary without peppers, the hot variety to liven things up (they're used extensively in the South, especially Puglia and Calabria), and the sweeter bell variety almost everywhere.

In selecting bell peppers, you should pick ones that are firm and feel solid. Don't buy peppers that feel soft, look wrinkled, or have obvious spots and such on them -- they're probably old. In terms of color, bell peppers are all green when young, becoming red, yellow, purple, or other colors as they ripen.

To prepare a bell pepper, cut around the stem, which you may want to keep to use as a cap, shake out the seeds and discard them, and peel away the white part of the ribs using a paring knife (insert it into the hole if you're keeping the peppers whole, or after you have cut them into strips if you're cutting them into strips). Even though bell peppers are nominally sweet, their ribs can pack a fiery wallop, so be careful to wash you hands well with soap before you touch anything else (e.g. your eyes) once you are done cutting them. If the recipe you are following suggests you peel your peppers, put them under a broiler, turning them often, until they blister, then scrape away the skins (if you've already cut them into strips broil them skin side up).

Incidentally, the Italian for bell pepper is peperone, which becomes peperoni in the plural. Hot peppers are called peperoncini (little peppers) in standard Italian, though they take on a host of names in various dialects (e.g. zenzero, which actually means ginger, in Tuscany). The spicy sausage that Americans know as pepperoni is called salamino piccante, and is quite common, especially in the South.

Recipes with Peppers On Site:

• Salsa di Peperoni
  A zesty bell pepper sauce for meats, vegetables, and fish.
• Bavarese ai Peperoni
  Beautiful aromas and rich hearty flavors from this bell pepper Bavarian Cream.
• Involtini di Peperone
  A wonderfully tasty use for bell peppers & cheese.
• Peperoni con la Bagna Caoda
  The symbol of Piemontese conviviality, and a wonderful antipasto too.
• Farfalle Con Peperoni e Rucola
  Butterflies with a zesty summer sauce of peppers and arugola. If you add tomato, mozzarella, and chill, you've got picnic food!
• Fusilli con Peperoni e Melanzane
  Fusilli with eggplant in a bell pepper sauce.
• Penne Rigate con Peperoni e Melanzane
  A tasty summer sauce with peppers and eggplant.
• Timpano di Peperoni
  A zesty baked pasta dish with a bell pepper shell that will be wonderful in summer.
• Costolette Guarnite
  Ada Boni's recipe for veal cutlets in a zesty tomato and bell pepper sauce.
• Costolette di Vitello coi Peperoni
  Zesty cutlets sauteed, then cooked with peppers.
• Nodini di Vitello ai Peperoni
  A tasty recipe for veal chops with a bell pepper sauce.
• Baccalà coi Peperoni
  Fried baccalà with a bell pepper sauce.
• Peperonata Rustica
  Tasty, simple stewed peppers.
• Peperoni Imbottiti di Maccheroni
  Bell peppers stuffed with pasta, another refreshing Neapolitan summer dish.
• Pipi Chjini (j is pronounced like the English ee)
  Stuffed peppers, Calabrian style.
• Peperoni Imbottiti
  Bell peppers stuffed with eggplant and bread crumbs, a tasty Neapolitan specialty perfect for summer.
• Peperoni Ripieni al Grana
  A meatless stuffed pepper with a tasty cheese-based filling.
• Peperoni Impanati e Fritti
  Peppers, sliced, breaded, and fried: nibble food!
• Peperoni Ripieni di Peperoni e Pecorino
  Peppers filled with sauteed peppers and grated cheese. Simple and tasty.

And Off Site:

• Stuffed Peppers
  These have a rice & turkey filling seasoned with soy sauce. Not Italian but does look nice.
• Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers
  This rice and beef filling has a number of interesting additions including raisins and walnuts, which bring to mind Sicilian cooking -- though it may well have little to do with the Island: it's provided by the US rice council.

A printer-friendly version of the above.

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