Peppers Piedmontese

Name: Peppers Piedmontese
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 18 cherry truss tomatoes; 3 red capsicums; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 12 basil leaves, plus extra for garnishing; 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; salt and black pepper; 6 anchovy fillets; 1 ball fresh buffalo or cow's milk mozzarella; crusty bread or a chewy focaccia, to serve

Danielle Alvarez

February 14, 2023

Italian-style capsicum halves topped with mozzarella, anchovy and basil.William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

This gorgeous and easy dish makes a perfect antipasto or simple lunch to serve cold, warm or at room temperature. It's as light and simple as summer cooking should be.

Ingredients

18 cherry truss tomatoes
3 red capsicums
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 basil leaves, plus extra for garnishing
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
6 anchovy fillets
1 ball fresh buffalo or cow's milk mozzarella
crusty bread or a chewy focaccia, to serve

Method

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
Step 2
Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Cut an "x" into the base (opposite end to where the stalk is) of each tomato and place them in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and leave to sit for just under a minute, until you can see the skins are splitting. Remove from the water and allow to cool, then peel the skins off and discard.
Step 3
Cut your capsicums through the centre and stalk. The stalk helps the peppers to hold their shape and looks beautiful when roasted. Cut out and discard the seeds and any white membrane.
Step 4
Place a crumpled piece of aluminium foil on the base of a tray and place the peppers, cut side up, on it (this helps to keep them from tipping over). Divide the sliced garlic among the capsicum cases, then add two basil leaves and 3 peeled tomatoes per case, filling each cavity. Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil into each half and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges of the peppers are deeply browned and the tomatoes have shrivelled slightly.
Step 5
Remove the tray from the oven and drape one anchovy over each capsicum case. Place the peppers on a platter and tear up the mozzarella, dropping the pieces in and around the halves. Garnish with more basil and extra salt and pepper. Serve as a side dish or with crusty bread to mop up all the juices.