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Pan-Cooked Peppers and Onions (with Sausage, If You’d Like)

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 40 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, butter, or a combination
  • 2 or 3 bell or other sweet peppers (about 1 pound), cored, seeded, and cut into strips
  • 2 medium-to-large onions, halved and sliced
  • 1 cup trimmed and sliced shiitake or button mushrooms
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or marjoram, or any fresh herb to taste plus more for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Put the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot or the butter foams, add the peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir in the thyme if you’re using it, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so the vegetables cook without browning (at least not much), until very tender, at least 20 minutes.
  2. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with more thyme if you like, and serve as a side dish or piled into rolls or baguettes.

— Recipe from How To Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition

Recipe variations

Pan-Cooked Peppers with Vinegar

Excellent with Italian long peppers; Add a couple of tablespoons balsamic or good-quality red or white wine vinegar in the last couple minutes of cooking.

Pan-Cooked Peppers with Paprika

Substitute chopped tomato for the mushrooms. Omit the herbs if you prefer. Start cooking just the onions; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons paprika or 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the peppers; cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally, add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and serve hot or at room temperature.