Pepperon

Peppers hold a special place in my memories. They take me back to hot summers at my grandmother Cristina’s house, my father’s mother. She fried red peppers with a delicate touch I still remember: on the plate, they revealed a flavour quite different from their raw taste—a sweetness and an aroma that have stayed with me.

This is also why they still interest me today: the same vegetable changes as it ripens, and changes again when we cook it. In fully ripe red peppers, I look for that sweetness and aromatic depth I learned to appreciate at her table.

When I began working on this sauce, I had that flavour in mind too.

In my PEPERONE sauce, the sweetness of red peppers blends with the savoury saltiness of Parmigiano Reggiano. Then the acidity of San Marzano tomatoes and the fresh, green note of parsley come through. Finally, the red pepper returns with a delicate aroma, bringing the flavour back to where it began.

This is what I wanted to capture in the jar: the memory of a familiar ingredient and the pleasure of sharing something of myself through its flavour.

To bring it to the table, all you need is pasta and a little of its cooking water to help the sauce coat it. I would taste the first bite without adding anything else. I would love to share something of that flavour that has stayed with me all these years.