Make Ahead

Roasted Pepper Antipasto

by:
August 30, 2010
4
4 Ratings
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

I don't eat bell peppers. Ever. However, I started making these peppers years ago to fill out the antipasti offerings. Pretty color, pretty tasty (even for me, a pepper-hater) and pretty easy. Serve with the best loaf of crusty Italian bread you can find. - MrsWheelbarrow —MrsWheelbarrow

Test Kitchen Notes

Silken textured, deeply flavored and easy to put together, this pretty dish makes a lovely addition to a larger antipasto platter or a satisfying partner for a glass of wine and some crusty bread. Two things to be careful about when making this dish: (1) Don’t over-roast the red peppers; you want them to be cooked, yet still firm as the marinating process will continue to soften the texture, and (2) avoid over-salting; the anchovies will add a fair amount of salt to this dish; I recommend allowing the components to marinate, tasting and adjusting the seasoning right before serving. I found this to be especially delicious with slices of fresh Buffalo mozzarella. - Rhonda35 —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 red bell peppers
  • 4 garlic cloves. minced
  • 1 jar excellent Italian anchovies
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Italian Parlsley
  • 1/4 cup Fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
  • Salt and pepper
  • Excellent olive oil
  • Excellent balsamic vinegar
Directions
  1. Roast the peppers: Either broil, grill or hold over the gas flame until the entire skin is blackened and blistered. Place the blackened pepper in a brown paper bag and close up to steam them.
  2. Wait about 15 minutes to cool the peppers, then tear open the bag and peel the peppers, removing seeds and ribs. I use the bag to catch all the detritus and contain the mess.
  3. Cut the peppers into strips about 1" wide.
  4. In a beautiful serving dish, layer peppers, garlic. anchovies, herbs, salt and pepper, pouring some olive oil and balsamic over the top.
  5. Allow to marinate for an hour or more. Serve at room temperature.
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  • Rhonda35
    Rhonda35
  • lapadia
    lapadia
  • cheese1227
    cheese1227
  • MrsWheelbarrow
    MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow
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5 Reviews

Rhonda35
Rhonda35 September 16, 2010
Mrs. Wheelbarrow, I know I wrote a review and testing notes above, but I want to reiterate that these are just delicious. What a very easy, very sophisticated little dish! And, I bet, if you wanted to be really, really lazy or if red peppers were just too darn expensive, you could cheat with a good quality jar of roasted red peppers...but, shhhhh, don't tell anybody that I said that!!
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow September 17, 2010
So funny, Rhonda, I used to make it with the peppers from jars. Haha! Then, I went to a class with Marcella Hazan (decades ago) and learned how to roast the peppers and this recipe is the result.
 
lapadia
lapadia August 31, 2010
Love it!
 
cheese1227
cheese1227 August 30, 2010
I love your "excellent" requirements here! My French friend makes a very similiar dish and the plate is alway emptied in seconds.
 
MrsWheelbarrow
MrsWheelbarrow August 30, 2010
It's so important to make simple foods like this with the very best ingredients, don't you think?