These Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers are a simple, flavorful side dish that pairs beautifully with so many meals. Sweet Italian green peppers are seasoned with coarse sea salt, drizzled with olive oil, and roasted until soft, lightly charred, and delicious.
What Are Italian Peppers?
Italian peppers, often called Italian frying peppers, are long, slender sweet peppers with a mild flavor and tender skin. They are usually green when harvested, though they can turn red as they ripen. In Italy, these peppers are commonly known as friggitelli, a sweet Italian chili pepper that is excellent for roasting, frying, and grilling.
If you have never tried Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers, this easy recipe is a wonderful place to start. The preparation is simple, but the result is full of flavor. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the peppers while giving them a soft texture and lightly blistered edges. With only three basic ingredients, this is the kind of side dish you can prepare without much planning.
These roasted Italian green peppers are especially versatile. Serve them as a side dish with grilled meats, add them to sandwiches, place them on an appetizer platter, or enjoy them with cured meats, cheese, olives, and crusty bread. They also work well alongside omelettes, fish, chicken, kebabs, or any Mediterranean-style meal.
You Only Need Three Ingredients to Make These Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers
- Italian green peppers
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
REMEMBER, the full recipe and detailed instructions are included in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Cook the Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 180°C.
- Prepare a large baking tray or shallow roasting dish.
- Place the peppers on the tray in a single layer.
- Pierce each pepper a few times with a fork or sharp knife.
- Sprinkle the peppers with coarse sea salt.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the peppers.
- Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.
- The peppers are ready when they are completely soft, lightly charred, and slightly caramelized.
Recipe Tips for These Italian Peppers
- Pat the peppers dry – Before roasting, dry the peppers well with a clean towel or paper towel. Removing excess moisture helps them roast more evenly and gives them a better texture.
- Pierce the peppers before roasting – A few small holes in each pepper allow steam to escape while they cook. This helps prevent the peppers from bursting in the oven.
- Serve hot and fresh – These roasted Italian peppers are best served straight from the oven while they are warm, tender, and glossy with olive oil.
- Use a single layer – Avoid overcrowding the tray. If the peppers are piled on top of each other, they may steam instead of roast.
- Adjust the roasting time – Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the peppers and your oven. Look for soft flesh and blistered skin as your guide.
Other Cooking Methods
- Shallow fry the peppers – Heat olive oil or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dry peppers and fry for about 5 to 6 minutes, turning as needed, until they are golden, blistered, and soft. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.
- Barbecue the Italian peppers – These peppers can also be cooked on the barbecue. For best results, use indirect heat so they soften without burning too quickly. You can place them directly on the grill or on a sheet of foil.
What’s a Great Way to Serve These Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers?
- As an appetizer – Serve these roasted peppers on their own with a little extra sea salt, or add them to an antipasto platter with olives, cheese, bread, and cured meats.
- With a main course – These peppers are a great match for chicken, pork, fish, grilled skewers, omelettes, sandwiches, and many Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
- In sandwiches – Their soft texture and sweet flavor make them a delicious addition to chicken cutlet sandwiches, grilled vegetable sandwiches, or simple crusty bread with cheese.
- With barbecue meals – Roasted Italian green peppers are an easy side dish for summer cookouts and pair well with grilled meats and vegetables.
They are especially delicious served with sticky honey drumsticks or other roasted chicken dishes.
However you choose to serve these Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers, they make a simple and satisfying dish. They are easy enough for a weeknight meal but flavorful enough to include on a party platter or barbecue table. With their tender texture, mild sweetness, and salty olive oil finish, they are the kind of recipe you will want to make again and again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Italian sweet peppers are usually a rich green color when harvested. As they continue to ripen, they can turn red.
In addition to roasting and frying, Italian frying peppers can be added to meat dishes, pasta, pizza, salads, sandwiches, and appetizer platters.
No, they are different peppers. Pepperoncini are smaller, lighter in color, and have a slightly spicy flavor. They are often pickled or eaten raw.
If you enjoy simple vegetable side dishes, keep this roasted Italian green peppers recipe handy. It is quick to prepare, uses everyday ingredients, and works with many meals, from casual dinners to barbecue spreads and appetizer boards.
Get the Recipe!
Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian green peppers
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- coarse sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Pierce each pepper in 2 or 3 places with a sharp knife or fork. Place the peppers in a shallow rimmed baking dish or on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
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Roast for 20 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and turn the peppers over. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the peppers are very soft and lightly caramelized.
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Serve immediately as a side dish, appetizer, sandwich filling, or part of a tapas-style spread.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, and any prep or cook times are estimates only.
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