My favorite summer staples are sweet peppers, or really peppers of any variety that come out in the late summer months, this Chickpea & Farro Peperonata bowl is my favorite way to use them. Peppers so are versatile, lending themselves to being sweet and sharp when they are raw, or soft and deeply flavorful when cooked. They’re delicious either way, but this bowl harnesses how perfect they are when they are slowly stewed, cooked down into a tender peperonata of sorts, and mixed with garlic, capers and a touch of vinegar.
This is a take on traditional Italian peperonata, but I added in farro and chickpeas to make it a full meal. The recipe itself is quick but delivers on its promise which is big flavor with minimal effort. These summer vegetables shine on their own, which is one of my favorite things about the late summer season.
To make this peperonata, and learn about how it differs from the traditional version, read on in this blog post. We’ll cover it all!
Table of contents
What is peperonata?
Peperonata is a traditional Italian dish. It’s typically served in stew form, cooking down peppers, onion, garlic and tomatoes into a bright and nearly jammy mixture. While many varieties exist, peperonata typically includes red bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic. It can be used as a pasta sauce or side, but you’ll always find it with a healthy serving of peppers included, or else it wouldn’t be peperonata, after all!
What kind of peppers are best for peperonata?
Peperonata is usually made with sweet peppers, such as red, yellow or orange. But if you like the pepper, you can most likely use it for this recipe! Of course, you don’t want to load this up with hot peppers, so when I say any pepper, I mean you can use long peppers, sweet peppers, green bell peppers (as divisive as they are!) or any variety of sweet pepper that cooks down well. In the recipe video for this, I used a blend of bell peppers, with one red, one yellow and one purple in the mix. I also used a green long sweet pepper, which lent a similar flavor. When it comes to peperonata, sweet is best, but color and specifics are up to you!
Ingredients you’ll need for this chickpea and farro bowl
While the chickpeas and farro can be swapped for any grain and bean, here is the list of suggested ingredients I use for this recipe!
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas
- 1 cup uncooked farro
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 medium sweet peppers, such as red, green, orange, yellow, thinly sliced
- 1 small hot pepper, such as Cherry Bomb or Fresno, thinly sliced. (See notes for substitutions)
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tablespoons non-pareil capers, stored in brine, drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, for serving
How to prepare this peperonata bowl
The beauty of this bowl is after you finish prepping all the ingredients, it really just takes standing over a stove for a few minutes to bring it all together. It’s my favorite kind of cooking – you’re working over heat, but not too hard, y’know?
To make this bowl, first drain and rinse the chickpeas and set them aside. Cook the farro according to package instructions and set aside.
To make the peperonata portion, place a large high-sided sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Add in the onion and peppers and stir to coat in the olive oil. Season with salt and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the peppers have cooked down and softened. Add in the garlic and capers and cook another 3-4 minutes. Mix in the red wine vinegar, taste and season as needed.
Reduce the heat on the pan to medium-low and add in the farro and chickpeas, stirring to mix everything together. Tear in the basil leaves, add the parsley and mix to combine.
To serve, portion into four plates. Crack on some freshly ground black pepper and dot with balsamic vinegar. Serve warm!
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few other favorites that feel like summer comfort in a bowl!
And that’s everything for this Chickpea & Farro Peperonata!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Chickpea & Farro Peperonata
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 high sided sauté pan
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas
- 1 cup uncooked farro
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large white onion thinly sliced
- 3 medium sweet peppers, such as red, green, orange, yellow thinly sliced
- 1 small hot pepper, such as Cherry Bomb or Fresno thinly sliced, see notes for substitutions*
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 2 tablespoons non-pareil capers stored in brine drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar for serving
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set them aside.
- Cook the farro according to package instructions and set aside.
- Place a large high-sided sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add in the onion and peppers and stir to coat in the olive oil. Season with salt and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the peppers have cooked down and softened.
- Add in the garlic and capers and cook another 3-4 minutes. Mix in the red wine vinegar, taste and season as needed.
- Reduce the heat on the pan to medium-low and add in the farro and chickpeas, stirring to mix everything together.
- Tear in the basil leaves and add the parsley and mix to combine.
- To serve, portion into four plates. Crack on some freshly ground black pepper and dot with balsamic vinegar. Serve warm!
Easy and yummy!
Absolutely delicious! Easy peasy way to use up all the peppers my SIL gave me from her garden.