It’s that time of the year to make Italian Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers. I can smell the bushels of peppers being roasted in my neighborhood.
Roasted pepper is a common ingredient in Italian cuisine.
Whether using it in pasta dishes or as a topping for pizza, polenta or bruschetta, this roasted vegetable adds so much flavor to almost any dish.
If you have never roasted bell peppers before, be sure to consult this detailed step-by-step photo tutorial on How to Roast Bell Peppers.
Roasted bell peppers are also the main ingredient in this appetizer recipe, often referred to as the Italian peppers in oil recipe.
Roast (or barbecue), peel and slice your peppers. Drizzle some olive oil, add minced garlic, chopped flat-leaf parsley, salt, and pepper to taste and marinate.
It’s that easy.
Don’t believe me?
Here, I’ll show you…
Ingredients
A printable recipe card found at the bottom of this page has the specific amounts for each ingredient. This is just a summary.
- Roasted Bell Peppers. Orange, yellow and/or red.
- Garlic. Combines perfectly with bell peppers.
- Parsley. Italian flat-leaf has so much flavor.
- Olive oil. If possible, use extra virgin.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
Instructions
Before we can combine the ingredients for this recipe, we need to roast 3 bell peppers.
Wash and dry your peppers. Place them on their sides on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the upper third of the oven heated to 400°F (200°C) until the skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft (alternatively, you can use the barbecue, grill pan or air fryer). Make sure you turn the peppers, allowing all sides to get black and blistered. Notice how the peppers will also collapse in on themselves. This can take about 1 hour.
Warning: the scent of roasting peppers is intoxicating!
While the peppers are roasting, prep the ingredients for the marinade. You need 2 cloves of minced garlic and ¼ cup of chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Once the peppers are done, carefully transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow cooling for about 30 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, remove stems and charred skins. Cut peppers in half to remove the seeds and then cut in long strips.
This can get messy, but please, promise me you will not run the pepper under water to speed up the process. You will thank me later.
Place in the bowl, along with any juices which have escaped the peppers and add the garlic, parsley and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss gently and voilà!
Allow marinating at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Time to enjoy that smoky natural sweetness of these Italian sweet peppers.
Tips
- Only use bell peppers in this recipe.
- If you do not plan to use your roasted peppers immediately, they can be frozen (in reusable plastic bags or freezable containers). When ready to make this recipe, thaw and proceed.
- Feel free to add some hot chiles for extra heat.
Can these roasted peppers in oil be made ahead of time?
Yes, this is one of the best make-ahead Italian appetizers. The longer they sit in the marinade, the better they taste. It can be made 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until needed. Use within 5 days.
Roasted red pepper recipes we love
- Fregola Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Recipe
- Peperonata
- Roasted Bell Pepper Goat Cheese Bites
- Italian Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions
Recipe origins
Once again, I return to the food of my childhood and I have my mom to thank for this simple Italian roasted peppers recipe.
Growing up Italian meant that there was a good supply of roasted peppers in the freezer. My mom would roast a few bushels of red peppers at the end of summer, remove the skin and seeds, and freeze them. Throughout the year, she would use these frozen roasted peppers to make this recipe for marinated peppers.
To this day, I continue to make and enjoy this recipe using roasted red peppers. They are great eaten on their own, as a side dish, snuggled in a sandwich, used in salads, tossed with pasta, or my favorite, used as a topping for Homemade Pizza.
They also make a great crostini topping… did someone say Italian appetizers?
Take one bite -just one, sit back and savor the simple goodness of this recipe for Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers.
I hope you are all able to take advantage of and enjoy the rest of the summer!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Roasted Bell Pepper Recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers
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Ingredients
- 3 whole bell peppers
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Wash and dry your peppers and place them on their side on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast in upper third of oven until skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft (alternately, you can use the barbecue.) Make sure you turn the peppers allowing all sides to get black and blistered. This can take between 45-60 minutes.
- While the peppers are roasting, combine the ingredients for the marinade.
- Once the peppers are done, transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
- When cool enough to handle, remove stems and charred skins. Cut peppers in half to remove the seeds and then cut in long strips. Do not rinse your peppers under running water.
- Combine with the marinade and toss gently together.
- Allow to sit for a few hours for the flavors to mingle together. Can be served at room temperature.
- Can also be refrigerated for up to a week
Notes
- Only use bell peppers in this recipe.
- If you do not plan to use your roasted peppers immediately they can be frozen (place in reusable plastic bags or freezable containers). When ready to make this recipe simply thaw and proceed.
- Feel free to add some hot chiles for extra heat.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 16, 2015, and republished on October 7, 2019, with updated content and photos.
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Teresa
So easy and delicious. The only thing I added was about a teaspoon of red wine vinegar. This will be a weekly staple at our home.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Teresa!
Sally Sovilla
Hi Maria: I’ve been looking at Peperonata recipes since learning recently a sandwich spread my Italian father-in,-law used to make was a variation of Peperonata. After trying to duplicate it, I made this discovery. Your recipe is the one I plan to try, though Gilly used tomatoes from his garden in it too. And also slices of pepperoni. Makes any sandwich delish, especially cheese sandwiches. So it it will keep 1 week in a jar in the fridge, correct? Would you freeze in freezer bags for longer time.
Maria
Thanks so much for your interest Sally. Yes to both questions. If using olive oil, it will solidify in the fridge, but it is fine once it is at room temperature. It does freeze wonderfully. And you are right, it makes an amazing sandwich! My husband loves to have it with grilled sausages, mushrooms and cheese! Great comment, thank you!