Pan Roasted Pepper Salad makes an easy and delicious side dish to meat, poultry, or fish and can also be enjoyed on its own as a vegetarian dish.
Fried sweet bell peppers was a signature dish my mamma would make quite often and had become a delicious comfort food while growing up. Mamma would typically pan fry them on medium low heat with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper and a generous amount of oil that would have us eagerly doing “la scarpetta” with much enthusiasm!
Fare la scarpetta is a phrase we use in Italian. It literally translates to “make the little shoe” by taking a piece of bread and using it to sop up all that delicious goodness on the surface of your plate which we simply can’t leave behind.
Often times our school lunches consisted of fried red peppers sandwiched together with thick slices of Italian Margarita bread and it just had to be red peppers because…. well, mamma knew we loved those best!
While I still very much prefer the sweet red bell peppers, I’ve grown to love the wide array of bright colors with their glossy exterior.
Throughout the years I’ve lightened up the dish by using far less oil and as a result made it more heart friendly but without skimping on taste.
Also I prefer to cut the peppers and onions in fairly equal size, roughly one inch pieces. This way they’ll cook much more evenly and in the same amount of time. You can also cut them in strips if you like as my mamma would often do. Whatever works best for you is just fine!
I’ve shortened the cooking time considerably by turning up the heat which allows the sweet peppers to char nicely. You will want to use an oil with a higher smoking point for this part and then a light drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil to finish off the dish once plated.
Just before removing the pan off the heat, I love to give the veggies a splash of balsamic vinegar and if you’ve never tried this I urge you to give it a go. It imparts such lovely sweet flavors and an extra zing to the pan roasted pepper salad.
How versatile this dish is!
There are so many ways to serve up these pan roasted veggies. They make a rather delicious topping for a vegetarian pizza which I make once a week!
You can also top them over sausage or strips of beef on a bun as a panini sandwich or simply as a side dish.
They are just as tasty tossed with some pasta or spooned atop crostini.
Today I am serving these pan roasted peppers with some rustic elegance over a bed of arugula with some Parmesan shavings and a generous sprinkle of pomegranate arils for a burst of refreshing sweetness.
Enjoy piled high with your favorite grilled or toasted bread and don’t forget the wine!
Buon Appetito!
Pan Roasted Pepper Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 4 sweet bell peppers seeded and roughly cut into1 inch pieces
- 2 onions peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces ( separate layers)
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- A bunch arugula rinsed and dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1/3 cup pomegranate Arils
- 1 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzlling
Instructions
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Pour the oil into a non stick frying pan and heat to medium high.
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Add the cut peppers, onions and smashed garlic to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
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Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes while stirring occasionally so that they get a nice sear.
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Just before turning off the heat, drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the veggies while stirring to coat all over (for about 1 minute).
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Remove from the heat.
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Place the arugula onto a serving platter and top with the roasted pepper mixture.
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Scatter the chopped basil, pomegranate Arils and Parmesan cheese over the pepper salad.
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Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the roasted pepper salad and serve with your favorite bread.
You are an artist. I love the color and ligh in your photos . I am waiting for you to teach me how to make them .
Hi Min, I am so glad you like it and I would be happy to show you how to prepare it 🙂
Healthy and delicious… and gorgeous on toast!
And so simple to prepare Sadie which will also impress friends and family 🙂
Maria, you have elevated a classic peasant dish to an elegant salad and/or side. I so remember those fried pepper & onion sandwiches at lunchtime.
For special occasions I do love dressing it up this way and its very much loved by everyone!
Those sandwiches were simply the best and the envy of some at school…I see that I was not alone! 🙂 Thanks Paula.
The colors of this salad will brighten any wintry day. 🙂
The bright colours do indeed brighten up dark winter months! Thanks Ronit?
What a gorgeous and tasty salad! I love the addition of the arils, yum!
Kathryn a sprinkle of pomegranate rails always gives a recipe that little extra love!
What a bright and cheerful looking dish, Marisa. Yum!
Thanks Debbie, I thought we could all use some cheering up with the January blues without breaking any New Years resolutions ??
Love the recipe as well as the cooking tips! And of course that it is out-of-this-world gorgeous!!
Thanks Annika, it was rather fun to put together?
Marisa,
I love this roasted pepper salad – it looks gorgeous and must taste delicious. I am going to try this soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Your most welcome Sandhya, do let me know how it goes….:)
We adore these roasted peppers over pizza…enjoy Star! 🙂
Beautiful. I love the versatility of the peppers, too!
Thanks Mimi, peppers are one those vegetables I could eat every single day and never get tired of?
I love preparing bell peppers similarly (peperonata) but with a tomato is tossed into the mix. Even so, I’m more than game to try your methods, Marissa. Great tips about using a higher flame and different oils depending upon timing. The splash of balsamic is a nice touch, too. I normally prepare peppers in the summer, the sight of so many at the farmers markets trigger the idea. I need to rethink this and give it a try now, in the dead of winter. Nothing like a brightly colored dish to remind us of summer.
Come winter or summer fried peppers were always a star appearance at the diner table. Any leftovers were always welcomed for lunch the following day tucked into sandwiches.The colorful peppers can really cheer us up on the dark days of winter. Thanks for your comment John 🙂
This salad looks like taking a little of sunshine in winter season, it’s great!
Thank-you Serena, it really does cheer us up during the long winter days.