Ripiene means, more or less, filled. You might call it stuffed.
However, it’s not a word I choose to pair with food, I always associate stuffed with being a failure, absolutely exhausted and ready to throw in the bin. Something no good at all. I’ll stick with ripiene, thanks.
The word ‘Capsicum’ is from the Greek “kapto” which means “to bite”. All peppers are of the capsicum genus (and some of them do bite) but as there are 26 species of peppers there’s a lot of discussion and argument about which should be called what.
But in the Ballaro market, Palermo, they’re clearly marked as peperone. One euro.
In Australia these ‘bell peppers’ are called capsicums, so I’ll stick with that.
You can fill your capsicums with anything really, but I enjoyed capsico ripieni con acciughe – with anchovies, many times at La Spigola, the little trattoria beneath my apartment in Siracusa.
I loved that balcony in Siracusa!
It may not look much to you, but as I sat there in the early mornings looking over to the port, Porto Piccolo, and watching the city wake up, I knew that I could stay in Siracusa to the end of my days.
You can see the masts of the fishing boats in Porto Piccolo. And La Spigola.
Or stroll down for a closer look at the little boats
La Spigola was underneath my balcony and, apart from being extremely convenient, it was always a happy place to have my evening meal. The same quietly voiced gentleman served me each time, greeting me like a favourite auntie.
They had some scrumptious dishes with capsicums. Peperoni ripieni is just one.
Ingredients
- 4 capsicums
- 1/2 cup of slightly toasted breadcrumbs
- 2 fillets of anchovy mashed in a little oil
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino
- 1/2 cup chopped garlic and parsley
- teaspoon of pine nuts
Method
- If the mixture is a little dry, soften it with some extra virgin olive oil
- Slice the tops off the capsicums
- Scoop out the insides so you have a shell ready for filling
- Mix up the filling ingredients in a bowl and carefully spoon into the capsicums
- Cover the capsicums with their cap, arrange in a baking pan
- Pour over a teaspoon of oil and bake for about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour in a medium oven
Did you like this recipe? Perhaps there’s something else you’d like to know about Sicilian cooking or the beautiful island itself. You can leave a comment here or subscribe to my feed