Its been exactly one month since we left Italy, Sicily to be exact, and I have to say WOW. That was honestly some of the best food I have experienced. I have travelled from Milan – Naples on a road trip and maybe it’s because it was 7 years ago but even though I remember the food being amazing I don’t remember it being THIS AMAZING. I can say without a doubt that the month we visited Sicily I don’t remember having one bad meal
(Except one. I ordered pasta pomodoro and it tasted like it was meant for a child. Luckily I ordered mussels with it and they were over the top delicious so I guess it made up for it)
Each area of Italy has its own unique take on Italian food. I remember being in Tuscany and everyday it felt like someones grandmother had spent all day cooking and the food just warmed your soul. It was a lot more comforting and rustic and oh I don’t know, like someone was giving you a hug every time you ate it. What I took away from Sicily is that there is such a simplicity in the food but all the while being complex.
Here are a few examples of the most common Sicilian dishes
- Red Prawns – Raw: I am more a fan of cooked prawns myself (which I happily devoured a lot of) but the presentation of the raw red prawn was beautiful and simple. Prawn, Olive Oil, Salt, Lemon Juice.
- Caponata: Perhaps Sicilys most famous dish. It was hard not to find it on a menu it practically jumped out at you everywhere you went. Did I order it all the time … yes. Was it unique to each restaurant … yes. Again, a simple dish but the Balance of sweet and tangy was something to be admired.
- Cannoli: A trip to Sicily would not be complete without sampling one or two to three of these tasty little treasures. A deep fried pastry filled with a sweetened ricotta and a dusting of pistachio or orange or chocolate chips on the outside. Again, no fuss but all together makes one of the most amazing two bite deserts you could possibly dream of
So, in keeping with the theme of having something simple yet full of flavour I wanted to share this recipe …
Roasted Peppers with Olive Oil, Goat Cheese and a Roasted Garlic Spread
In my next post, I will share how I turned it into a pasta sauce with sun-dried tomatoes that is super simple and delicious. YUM!
These are so easy to make, look impressive and can be used in a variety of different ways. You can simply add it to a crostini for a quick appetizer, turn it into a pasta sauce, add it to a salad, a topping for chicken or make it part of an antipasto platter. It will last 3 days in the fridge so it is a perfect make ahead dish and it requires very little work to make. I added goat cheese to the top of this for a creamy element but you can add ricotta too which would go perfectly or skip the cheese all together if you want
I have to say, when it comes to jarred roasted peppers out there there are a lot of great options, especially if you can find them cheap but if I have an extra 30 minutes and less face us, who doesn’t, then I 100% recommend making your own. And on that note most of the time is just letting the peppers roast in the oven your not sitting there stirring it like its a risotto. One thing that I tend to find with jarred peppers is that they are almost too soft. A lot of the times when I try to pull one whole out of the jar they ended up breaking or turning mushy. When you make the peppers yourself I tend to find that they have a bit more texture to them, more of a meatiness. I prefer them this way
Simple
Flavourful
Light
Versatile
Another thing I like to make while I am roasting the peppers because why not do two things at once is make roasted garlic. The ovens already hot so why not. And again, if you are a garlic maniac like me then there is no point making just one why not make a batch of 6. I squeeze them into a jar and cover with olive oil and it is great to add to pastas, crostini or really anything that needs an extra hit of garlic. And the great thing about roasted garlic is that it takes the “bite” out of it so you have a more subtle underlying garlic flavour. Believe me it wont last long
As always, hope you enjoy x
Roasted Peppers And Garlic With Olive Oil
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 4 Large Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow or Orange)
- 6 Heads of Garlic
- 1 Olive Oil
- 1 Salt
- 1 Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Place a wrack near the top of the oven careful to leave enough room for the tray of peppers
- Using a small pairing knife, remove the top of the peppers cutting close to the stem and pull out the seeds. Don’t worry if some remain removing the bulk of the seeds makes it easier to clean after roasting
- Toss the peppers in olive oil until coated and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Meanwhile, cut a small portion of the tops of each head of garlic so that each clove is slightly exposed and place each into a 6 hole muffin tray. Top each with a tablespoon of olive oil and a good grind of salt and pepper. Cover tightly with tin foil. Alternatively you can wrap each clove in a piece of tinfoil leaving some space inside. You don’t want it tightly wrapped around
- Place the peppers in the top shelf of the stove and the garlic on the bottom
- Roast the peppers for 15 minutes, turning occasionally until blistered on all sides. Its hot, the peppers have a lot of moisture in them so there will be steam in the oven so be careful when opening to turn
- When the peppers are done remove them and turn down the oven to 200. Roast for another 30 minutes or until garlic is soft and caramelized
- Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let steam for 15 minutes then remove and peel skin. Place in a jar and cover with olive oil or serve immediately
- When the garlic is done and cooled, squeeze into a jar and mix with olive oil and a pinch of salt
When I read you had been in Sicily I immediately thought I one you tried Caponata. It’s one of my favourite dishes and I always take it to pot lucks. I’ll email you the recipe I use 😋
THE BEST! I ate it so much but yes email me the recipe you use would love to try it out when I get home yum