Today is Tip Tuesday and I offer a tip on quick-roasting red peppers. I love a good roasted red pepper as much as the next gal, but the part which galls me every time is having to peel the slippery things. In my book peeling a charred red pepper falls along the same lines as peeling tomatoes – somewhat fussy and does the food really care? (My friend Ethan Becker uses that line all the time and it’s rubbed off.) So, this tip for a quick-roasted red pepper instructs not to peel the peppers. If you don’t like the peel, you won’t like this tip, but I encourage you to try it anyway. This 4-step tip makes about 2 cups roasted red pepper strips.
Cut 4 red peppers into 1/2-inch thick strips.
Place the strips on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
“Roast” at 350° F for 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft and dark around the edges.
For added flavor toss the roasted strips with 2 cloves chopped garlic and 1/4 cup finely chopped basil. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
That’s my quick tip for roasting red peppers. You can now enjoy them as an antipasto, on pasta, with a vegetable panini, or straight off the baking sheet.