Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Homemade roasted red bell peppers are so easy to make any time of year and can be stored in your freezer. Enjoy them marinated as part of your antipasto platter, in sandwiches, on pizza, in frittatas and so much more!
When I step out of my house at this time of year, I’m likely to be greeted with the aroma of roasting bell peppers in my neighborhood. This immediately transports me back to my childhood with memories of my parents returning from a trip to a local farmer with a bushel (or several) of freshly picked red peppers. I regret to say that I didn’t participate in these outings which had very little appeal for me back then.

They then proceeded to roast every single one of them on our charcoal grill in the backyard, then peel, slice and freeze them for the winter. Aside from this they were also busy processing bushel after bushel of tomatoes into tomato sauce as well as pickling vegetables such as eggplant and hot peppers.

If you don’t have the time or energy to do all this and had to choose one of the easiest ways to preserve vegetables, roasting peppers is a great option. With little effort and time you can roast a batch of delicious, smoky flavored peppers that you can enjoy in so many ways!

Advantages of making large batch roasted bell peppers:

You definitely don’t need to wait until late summer to roast a large batch of peppers as my parents did. In fact, you can roast peppers any time of year on a small scale to enjoy immediately. So why did my parents go through all this effort to roast bushels of bell peppers?

We all know that Italian immigrants brought along with them the tradition of preserving produce and other food products in large quantities for the winter. This was a necessity in Italy at a time where refrigeration was not available and the only means to preserve food for the winter (that they grew or raised themselves) was by canning, pickling, drying or curing.

Without a doubt, preserving abundant local produce at it’s peak of freshness is also quite cost effective. And that is why, still today, so many Italians maintain these traditions!

How to serve roasted red bell peppers:

• My mother often serves a bowl of marinated roasted peppers as a side dish with grilled meat, potatoes and a salad.
• Include in your antipasto platter along with cured meats; cheese; olives; and bread.
• Top bruschetta with roasted red bell peppers.
• Use as a topping for pizza.
• Chop into smaller bite sized pieces and add to pasta salad or rice salad.
• Add to sausage panini (the best!) or other sandwiches.
• Add to frittatas or quiche.

Different ways to roast bell peppers:

Bell peppers can be roasted in 3 ways:

• On a gas or charcoal grill.
• Directly over the flame on a gas stovetop.
• In the oven at the broil setting.

No matter which method you choose, the technique is always the same as outlined below. In this post I’m demonstrating the oven broiled method.The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed, printable recipe card.

Step by Step Instructions:

To roast the peppers:

Begin by washing and drying red bell peppers.Place your oven rack directly under the broiler element and preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.

Arrange the peppers on the prepared baking sheet.Place the peppers in the oven and broil until the skin is charred, rotating the peppers every five minutes or so until all sides are charred. This will take from 25-30 minutes. Don’t worry, the peppers will not taste burnt!

Remove from the oven and transfer the peppers to a heat proof bowl. Cover the bowl with wrap and let the peppers sweat for 20-25 minutes, until cool enough to handle. This will allow you to easily remove the charred skin.

After the peppers have rested, peel off the charred skin. This step can get a little messy!Next, remove the stem, seeds and membrane from the interior of the peppers. Slice into strips.

You now have 2 choices as to what to do next.

To freeze:

Place the sliced peppers (once completely cooled) in small portions in freezer bags, making sure to remove all air from the bag. Freeze for up to 1 year. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or place the bag under cold running water until defrosted. Marinate and enjoy!

To marinate roasted red bell peppers:

Place the sliced peppers in a bowl. Add a crushed clove of garlic; olive oil, salt and oregano and stir to combine. Let sit for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to mingle. Enjoy!

Tips and suggestions:

• This recipe may be doubled, tripled or more if you want to take advantage of the abundance of peppers at your local farmer’s market.
• Although I’m partial to the flavor of red peppers due to their sweetness, this recipe works with green, yellow or orange peppers or a combination of all.
• Do not skip the step of allowing the peppers to sweat after roasting. Peeling them will be much more difficult not to mention that they are way too hot to handle!
• Other than oregano, fresh chopped parsley or basil may be added to your marinated peppers.
• Frozen roasted peppers are easily and quickly defrosted by running the bag under running cold water. Marinate as indicated in the recipe and enjoy. 
• Leftover marinated red peppers keep well refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Add enough extra olive oil to ensure the peppers are submerged.

If you give this recipe a try, please let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin it for later. Buon appetito!