This is a Campania classic built around Friggitelli — small, thin-skinned green peppers with a mild, grassy bite and a hint of sweetness. Bell peppers can stand in, but it's that particular sweetness that makes the dish work.
The oil does most of the work here. It blisters the Friggitelli until they're soft and a little smoky, then turns crushed tomatoes into a sauce that clings to everything. It's what keeps the tomatoes from tasting flat and the peppers from tasting watery — rounding out the acidity and carrying the basil's brightness through the whole pan.
It's also doing you a favor. Tomatoes carry lycopene, the pigment behind their color, and your body absorbs more of it when it's cooked in fat — exactly what's happening here. That same fat is part of why this dish keeps you satisfied rather than sending you hunting for a snack twenty minutes later.
Serve it as a side with something simple — grilled chicken, a piece of white fish, or white beans dressed with more olive oil — and dinner is done.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 300 g Friggitelli (sweet green frying peppers), stemmed and seeded
- 8–10 ripe plum or cherry tomatoes, crushed by hand
- A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Method
- Trim the Friggitelli: cut around the stem and scoop out the seeds and membrane, keeping the peppers whole.
- Heat a generous few tablespoons of olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the Friggitelli and let them blister and soften, turning occasionally, 5–6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the same pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook until they break down and turn jammy, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the basil, then return the Friggitelli to the pan. Salt to taste and simmer another 5–6 minutes so the peppers soak up the sauce.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutritional Analysis Total (4 servings): 637.0 kcal | Protein 7.1 g | Fat 57.1 g | Fiber 10.6 g Per serving: 159.3 kcal | Protein 1.8 g | Fat 14.3 g | Fiber 2.7 g
We've omitted garlic and/or onion to keep the flavors focused and clear. If you like it, it would typically be added in Step 2 — sauté a whole clove in the oil until golden before adding the peppers, then remove it before serving.