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    Bell Pepper & Onion Saute

    Mar 21, 2021 · 22 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Sweet and savory, with just a hint of background spice, combined with umami notes from crushed garlic and a medley of Italian-themed spices, today’s sauteed peppers are delicious as toppers for crostini, or layered between crusty bread, swathed in a pita, or even tossed with pasta. Conversely, this is also a great base recipe for sausage and peppers, or as a topping for a homemade pizza.

    Why You’ll Love Today’s Sauteed Red Peppers

    1) They Keep. These are perfect for making ahead of time, since they actually marinate in their own juices as they sit in the fridge. They stay beautifully for up to four or five days.

    2) Super Versatile. As alluded to above, these peppers go great on a sandwich, or tossed with pasta, or as a topping for crostini. As a plus, these are delicious both warm and cold

    3) Couldn’t be easier. If you can crush garlic, slice some peppers, and heat up a pan with oil, you can prepare today’s peppers. Really, this recipe couldn’t be easier.

    Ingredient Notes and Tips

    1) The Bell Peppers. These are the ‘meat’ of today’s recipe. Clocking in a whopping ‘zero’ on the Scoville Heat Scale, it goes without saying that Bell Peppers are ‘not’ spicy peppers. On the contrary, they’re fairly sweet, and can be bitten into raw like an apple – although I wouldn’t suggest doing so due to the copious amount of seeds they contain. However, they tend to lose their sweetness during cooking, becoming more ‘earthy umami’ than anything else. This is true of green, yellow, orange, ‘and’ red Bell Peppers.

    Tip for those who like it hot: If your palate is anything like my son’s, feel free to toss in a few spicy peppers of your choice. Jalapenos, long hots, habanero, serranos, or really ‘any’ pepper will work just fine alongside the bell peppers.

    2) Sugar – The ‘Why’ Behind the ‘Sweet.’ Like salt, sugar is a ‘blurring’ or ‘melding’ agent. That simply means that sugar helps to ‘bind’ flavors together. In recipes like red sauces, chilis, stews, or today’s red peppers, where you have a medley of different flavors coming together, some of which actually contrast quite sharply, you need ‘something’ to help ‘blur’ or ‘meld’ those ingredients together. The primary item for doing this is salt, but sugar also has a very similar effect. However, unlike salt, sugar also ‘mutes’ or ‘blunts’ acidity – despite being somewhat acidic itself (chemically speaking). That said, unlike the ‘saltiness’ of salt, which can come through quite powerfully, the ‘sweetness’ added by sugar is much milder and harder to detect, especially when used in very small quantities. Thus, sugar serves two purposes inside of today’s recipe, melding together flavors and blunting acidity, while itself being a nearly ‘invisible’ ingredient.

    Serving Tips

    1) Make a Sandwich. Today’s sauteed peppers are well at home between two slices of crusty Italian bread, or rolled into a flatbread, or piled onto a roll with salami and provolone. Or make a meal out of a loaf of Italian bread by layering them with some fresh mozzarella, sliced sausages, a drizzle of oil, and maybe a fresh dusting of grating cheese and red pepper flakes, and you’re good to go.

    2) Tossed with Pasta. Conversely, you could easily toss today’s recipe with some pasta – your choice of noodle – and you’ve got a light pasta recipe ready to go.

    3) As a Crostini Topper. You can find my preferred way to prepare crostini with this delicious Truffle Goat Cheese & Pignoli Crostini.

    4) Sausage and Peppers. Today’s sauteed peppers are an ideal base for a sausage and peppers recipe. Simply grill or fry up some sausages, and I would suggest halving them lengthwise before adding them into the peppers.

    5) In Pitas. Make a pita pocket out of these peppers with some feta and salad greens, and what could be better?


    Print

    Bell Pepper & Onion Saute

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    • Author: Living the Gourmet
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 4

    Ingredients

    2 large red bell peppers – sliced thin
    2 onions – sliced thin
    1 tomato – diced
    5 – 6 large garlic cloves – crushed
    1 tsp. dried oregano
    1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
    1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
    1 1/2 tsps. sugar
    1/2 tsp. salt
    Olive oil
    Fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese for grating and slicing

    Instructions

    Heat a large dry cast iron frying pan and place the sliced peppers, onions, garlic and diced tomatoes and dust with sugar.
    Allow a bit of a char to form on the peppers and onions then drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil.
    Add the rest of the seasonings and toss.
     
    Continue to sauté until the onions are caramelized.  This will take about 15 to 20 minutes or so.
    Taste for seasonings and drizzle with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
    Serve with fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese, your favorite bread and olive oil.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @LTGfood on Instagram and hashtag it #LTGfood

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. angiesrecipes says

      21/03/2021 at 7:09 pm

      So easy and yummy! Love them on my pita pockets!

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:15 pm

        Thank you dear Angie. I love peppers with pita pockets too. Stay well my friend. xo

        Reply
    2. Carleen says

      22/03/2021 at 4:36 pm

      Looks awesome! Now I’m super hungry after seeing this, lol!

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:16 pm

        Thank you Carleen. Thank you for visiting. xo

        Reply
    3. Cristina Petrini says

      23/03/2021 at 8:10 am

      A sandwich with strong but genuine flavors. Definitely to be proposed for a more gourmet key than the usual fast food.

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:17 pm

        Thank you for visiting Cristina and for your kind words. xo

        Reply
    4. Proseccobefore7 says

      23/03/2021 at 9:47 am

      This looks Phenomenal! We are fans of peppers in this household, so I know this will be well received. Many thanks for sharing such a quick delicious recipe.

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:18 pm

        Thank you for visiting and your kind words. I hope you enjoy this if you give it a try. xo

        Reply
    5. Melissa Cushing says

      23/03/2021 at 11:58 am

      This looks so delicious! I am pinning this recipe as my husband loves red peppers, roasted red peppers and more. Amazing!

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:19 pm

        Thank you Melissa for your kind words. I hope you and your husband enjoy it if you give it a try. xo

        Reply
    6. MELANIE EDJOURIAN says

      23/03/2021 at 1:53 pm

      This sounds really tasty. I’ve not had red peppers in ages. It’s an excuse to get them in and try your recipe.

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:19 pm

        Dear Melanie. Thank you for visiting and your kind words. I hope that you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try. xo

        Reply
    7. Ron Donoho says

      23/03/2021 at 3:39 pm

      The spicier the bettter! This post made me hungry.

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:20 pm

        Dear Ron, Thank you for visiting and your kind words.

        Reply
    8. Melanie williams says

      23/03/2021 at 5:51 pm

      Ooo now stop making me hungry looks so yum. Just working and then come across this haha

      Reply
      • Catherine Pappas says

        23/03/2021 at 6:20 pm

        Dear Melanie, Thank you for visiting and your kinds words. xo

        Reply
    9. Sondra says

      23/03/2021 at 8:16 pm

      Mm I love red peppers! Will definitely have to try this out.

      Reply
    10. Cierra Vollmerhausen-Warner says

      23/03/2021 at 8:51 pm

      This looks delicious AND your photos are phenomenal! Very appetizing.

      Reply
    11. Eloise says

      24/03/2021 at 2:23 am

      yum yum and so much vitamins and goodness from the peppers and onions. I’ll be sure to try this recipe soon, thanks!

      Reply
    12. Anosa says

      24/03/2021 at 6:28 am

      I have not made bell peppers and onion saute in such a long time, I can not wait to recreate your recipe.

      Reply
    13. Jay Aguirre says

      25/03/2021 at 3:50 am

      Ooh what a great recipe. I’ll definitely be trying this one out! It sounds like such a great dish!

      Reply
    14. Everything Enchanting says

      25/03/2021 at 8:11 pm

      Oh yum, this looks so good! I can’t wait to make this dish for my fam. Love bell pepper & onion combo 😉

      Reply

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