^{These roasted mini peppers are like candy! Sweet, caramelized and literally bursting with flavor, they come together in no time and go with almost anything!}

If you’re not making these roasted mini peppers to enhance all your favorite recipes, you are missing out! Not only are they so easy to make, they’re perfect for adding to a ton of different recipes.

I made this recipe because I’ve been buying these sweet mini peppers during every grocery haul lately. These are a perfect little snack on their own, or added to recipes. They’re even better if you want to use them as a vessel to scoop up your favorite creamy dip too! I knew with almost a dozen bags of these in my fridge they would start fading fast if I didn’t use them soon.

During the summer I love throwing these on the grill but I wanted to find a way to use up a ton of them in the oven. I also love when they get charred because the skins are thin and don’t become tough like larger bell peppers. You can eat them immediately after cooking. So in order to achieve a similar charred and tender pepper, I experimented in the oven – and oh my gosh!!!

These peppers cooked absolutely perfectly and became insanely sweet. If you want your vegetables to taste like candy, this is great start! I think I ate almost half a batch just after removing them from the oven. Then I started thinking of all the ways you can use these peppers:

The easiest way to enjoy these would be on top of a toasted piece of bread and a smear of cheese or hummus.
Puree these with some broth and even some heavy cream to make a velvety red pepper soup.
Blend up the peppers into a sauce for your pasta and top with parmesan cheese!
I’ll be adding these to my eggs in the morning!
Because they’re tangy and sweet, they would work well on a beef or sausage sandwich. Or really any sandwich for that matter.
Pop these in a food processor with some chickpeas and tahini and you’re well on your way to a roasted red pepper hummus.
Don’t forget to add these to your next charcuterie board.
Add some fresh herbs, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan and blend down into a roasted red pepper pesto!
Throw in a cold pasta or couscous salad to boost the flavors.

The list can go on and on but you HAVE to try these. Bright peppers are great for you as well as they are packed full of vitamin A and C and filled with antioxidants. Adding these to any recipe is a great way to get some vegetables and nutrition into your diet.

This recipe is vegetarian and can easily be turned vegan if you use a vegan pesto (cheese-less). You can omit the pesto but as an Italian girl, I have pesto on hand all the time. After making this recipe, it’s safe to say I’ll have roasted peppers on hand all the time.

This recipe is very similar to my Roasted Cherry Tomatoes! Don’t forget to top these and Fresh Homemade Ricotta Cheese on some crusty bread!

Here are some other recipes to pair these peppers with:

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Blackened Fish Tacos

Million Dollar Avocado Toast

Saucy & Spicy “Chorizo” Shakshuka

Veggie & Goat Cheese Crustless Quiche

Grilled Corn & Zucchini Burrata Salad

Pesto & Goat Cheese Veggie Quesadilla

Lunch Box Veggie Sandwich

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Sweet Italian Roasted Peppers

Print Recipe

These roasted mini peppers are like candy! Sweet, caramelized and literally bursting with flavor, they come together in no time and go with almost anything!

Prep Time:5

Cook Time:25

Total Time:30

Ingredients

2 pounds mini sweet peppers halved, stem and seeds removed
¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons basil pesto
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
fresh basil garnish
sea salt and pepper (optional) garnish
balsamic reduction (optional) garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°.
Wash, cut and remove seeds and stems from mini peppers. Dry and set aside.
In a 13"x9" baking dish, drizzle a little olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Add peppers, oil, balsamic, pesto, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Toss until peppers are completely coated in all the dressing and seasoning.
Bake for 17-20 minutes. Broil for an additional 3-5 minutes until peppers start to blister.
Remove, stir and top with balsamic drizzle and fresh basil leaves.

Notes

How long does it last and where?

If you allow the peppers to cool before storing in an airtight container, they will last for about 5-7 days in the fridge. If you add more olive oil to the top of these peppers, they have the potential to last 3-7 days more.

Substitutions?

There’s not too much I would substitute in this recipe. If you don’t have the mini peppers, large bell peppers (red, yellow and orange) will do. Cut them into slices that are approximately all the same size for even cooking.

If you don’t have or don’t want to use pesto, dried basil, oregano or just an Italian seasoning blend will flavor these just fine.

Any vinegar will work but balsamic will help caramelize and sweeten the whole recipe.

Tips and tricks

Believe it or not, there are some great ways to mess these up. If you’re using balsamic vinegar, I suggest cooking these in a baking dish for a slower caramelization. If you use a baking sheet, use a ton of peppers and extra oil just to avoid the sugars of the vinegar from burning too fast.

Cut the peppers into the same size pieces for even cooking. If you want to add onions as well, they would be great in this!

Pro tip! Mixing your pesto with your oil before tossing it on the peppers will help distribute the pesto more evenly.