PEPERONATA

Serves 4 | Preparation time 10mins | Cooking time 25mins

This dish can be eaten hot, cold, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Stir it through pasta, add grains (quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat), on toast, top with a poached egg, add sliced olives, add feta or goat’s cheese, add green leafy vegetables (rocket, spinach, kale), add legumes (chickpeas, butter beans, lentils etc), serve with protein (chicken breast, lamb or beef fillet or salmon), or on it’s own – however you like. It keeps really well in the fridge and travels well too. 

Ingredients

  • Capsicum, 3x large (use red, green, yellow), deseeded, finely chopped or sliced
  • Tomatoes, 700g Roma or mixed, roughly chopped
  • Onion, 1 red, halved, finely sliced
  • Leek, ½ halved, finely sliced
  • Garlic, 2 cloves crushed
  • Chilli, flakes, pinch
  • Olive oil, extra virgin, 4 tbs
  • Herbs, fresh 1/3 cup (basil, chives, oregano)
  • Lemon, 1
  • Sea salt, 1 tsp

Method

  1. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 3 tbs of olive oil, leek and pinch of sea salt. Sauté for 10mins or until soft. Add chilli flakes.
  2. Add capsicum to leeks, stir to combine. Add onion, stir to combine and cook for 10mins or until capsicum and onion softens. Add garlic, cook for 30secs until fragrant.
  3. Add tomatoes and pinch of sea salt, cover with a lid, cook for 5mins or until tomatoes burst and release their juices.
  4. Squeeze half a lemon to the tomatoes and capsicum mixture, taste and adjust seasoning with more sea salt and lemon juice.
  5. Remove from heat. Finish with light drizzle of remaining olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs.