This super easy Italian fried peppers recipe is the perfect appetizer for everyday meals. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy them in your al fresco dinner any weeknight!
Italian fried peppers or friggitelli in padella is a traditional Italian dish that is quite simply just fried peppers.
The recipe is made with a type of pepper called friggitelli that is known in other parts of the world as Cubanelle peppers, Italianelles, or Sweet Italian Long Pepper.
Those peppers are slightly fried in a pan (padella, in Italian) and makes a wonderful appetizer or side dish to enjoy by grabbing the pepper by the stem, putting it in your mouth, and then pulling the stem off.
Everyone in my family loves them and they are a staple at my home, so I am here to share the recipe with you.
Ingredients
- Italian peppers: Known as friggitelli peppers, they are long peppers that change in color from green to yellow to red and have a slightly sweet and bitter taste.Â
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for best flavor.
- Salt: Use coarse salt or fine table salt, anything you have available.
How to Make Italian Fried Peppers
Place peppers in a large colander and wash them under cold water.
Leave the sweet peppers to drain for a couple of minutes then spread them on a kitchen towel and pat dry them to remove the excess moisture.
Now, heat a good glug of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the peppers. Don’t worry if they are overlapped, they will shrink during the cooking.
Sauté for 5 minutes or until the peppers get blisters on all sides.
Now, add about 1/4 cup of water, place the lid on and reduce the heat to low.
Allow cooking the friggitelli for 8 minutes or until nicely soft on all sides. Remove the lid and sauté for a couple of minutes until all liquid has gone.
Allow to cool down, then transfer to a plate and serve your Italian fried peppers. Buon appetito!
Recipe Notes
- I suggest you rinse your peppers thoroughly before cooking them and pat them dry with a dish towel so they are not wet when you put them in the pan.
- Preheat the olive oil so the friggitelli start to cook as soon as you put them in the pan.
- This is a very simple recipe, ingredients quality is the one thing that makes it outstanding, that’s why Extra virgin olive is really my oil of choice as it is the least processed of all olive oils and has an amazing flavor.
- For a flavor kick, sauté one or two garlic cloves with the skin on along with the peppers. Remove before serving.
Ways to Serve Friggitelli in Padella
Italian fried peppers are served as an antipasto (appetizer) on their own or with some crusty bread on the side to soak up the extra olive oil.
Grab a baguette or focaccia from your local bakery or make up this Faster No Knead Bread. Or just stuff them in a sandwich!
If you are looking to serve these peppers as an easy side dish, try these Classic Italian Meatballs or serve them alongside this Beef Braciole With Tomato Sauce.Â
Though not traditionally served this way, I sometimes like to sprinkle some red pepper flakes and grate some Parmigiano cheese on top.
FAQS
Are Italian peppers spicy?
No. Italian frying peppers have a sweet and bitter taste compared to bell peppers and are not spicy at all.
Can I cook friggitelli peppers in the oven?
Yes, definitely you can make Italian fried peppers in the oven. Just place them on a large baking sheet in a single layer, toss with olive oil and bake at 360°F/180°C for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt before serving.
Do the stems have to be removed before cooking friggitelli peppers?
I recommend keeping the stems on so you can pick up the peppers and eat them. Finger foods are great in my book and eating these peppers with our fingers alongside some friends and a glass of wine is my kind of meal.Â
What are Italian frying peppers called?
Italian frying peppers are called friggitelli. You can find them in other parts of the world as cubanelle peppers or just Italian long-shape peppers.
Can I make a double batch of these peppers?
You can double the batch of these Italian fried peppers and keep half in the fridge for another meal. They can easily be added to sandwiches and salads or turned into a pasta dish.Â
How To Store
Store any leftover Italian frying peppers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. I don’t like freezing these peppers because they become mushy when defrosted, so I wouldn’t recommend you place leftovers in the freezer.
More Italian Recipes
Italian Fried Peppers (friggitelli in padella)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian friggitelli peppers (aka cubanelle peppers)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Wash friggitelli peppers under running cold water.
- Pat dry them with a kitchen towel.
- Heat a good glug of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the peppers and sauté for 5 minutes or until they get blisters on all sides.
- Add about ¼ cup of water, place the lid on and reduce the heat to low.
- Allow cooking the friggitelli for 8 minutes or until nicely soft on all sides.
- Remove the lid and sauté for a couple of minutes until all liquid has gone.
- Allow to cool down, transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with salt. Serve.
Notes
- I suggest you rinse your peppers thoroughly before cooking them and pat them dry with a dish towel so they are not wet when you put them in the pan.
- Preheat the olive oil so the friggitelli start to cook as soon as you put them in the pan.Â
- This is a very simple recipe, ingredients quality is the one thing that makes it outstanding, that’s why Extra virgin olive is really my oil of choice as it is the least processed of all olive oils and has an amazing flavor.Â
- For a flavor kick, sauté one or two garlic cloves with the skin on along with the peppers. Remove before serving.
Nutrition Information
Did you like my Italian Fried Peppers recipe? Then please don’t forget to rate it and leave us a comment below! And also:
I didn’t know friggitelli is just fried peppers! Can’t wait to make this easy recipe. Will definitely try this one and mix it with my pasta and garlic bread!