Pollo con pepperoni, chicken with bell peppers is One of the most well-known traditional meat dishes in Roman cuisine. It’s a simple dish, very tasty, and the result is guaranteed by the quality and the freshness of the ingredients. It’s important to use the latest juicy tomatoes that are in season, bell peppers, and fresh chicken to make this Pollo con Pepperoni recipe.

This post was originally published in 2014 and has been revised for accuracy. 

Historically, the word Ferragosto comes from the Latin Feriae Augusti, a time of rest following the end of the crop period in summer. All the fields were sown and it was time for a well-deserved break! Augusto Turati, the fascist leader in Italy during the 1930s, thought that reinstating Ferragosto in August would be a perfect way to be loved by the Italian people. And boy he was right!

By installing a new train system and setting cheaper prices during the holiday, Augusto allowed the people to travel outside the walls of their city for a few days. To this day, during the Ferragosto period, hoards of people flood out of the city towards the countryside, where picnics are organized with family and friends. Pollo con Pepperoni is a common and traditional dish for this holiday. But, as it often happens with dishes that are associated with a certain holiday, you forget that you can prepare it and are actually allowed to eat it any day of the year!

Below is the Pollo con Pepperoni recipe that has been passed down generations in my family. Of course, everyone makes their own little tweaks to it, but it goes something like I’ve outlined below. And as I said, you don’t have to wait until next August to make it! Honestly, I love to eat Pollo con pepperoni in the fall as much as in summer.

 

Pollo con Pepperoni Recipe (Chicken with Bell Peppers)

Ingredients for 4 persons:

  • 1 kg (or 2.2 lbs) of chicken
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 large peppers (one yellow and one red)
  • 1 cup of wine
  • 250g (8.8 oz) of tomato pulp
  • Salt to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Procedure:

  1. Wash the peppers, open them up and remove the seeds and white bits inside. Cut them into long strips.
  2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and brown the garlic clove to give the oil more flavor.
  3. Now move onto the chicken. Depending on how you like it you can either cut it in small bite-sized strips or chop it up in bigger pieces and cook it whole (I like to use the thighs, as they are the juiciest part of the chicken and full of flavor). Place the chicken in the pan and let it brown on all sides.
  4. Once the chicken has browned, pour the wine into the pan and let the alcohol evaporate.
  5. Add the peppers and the tomato pulp. Salt to taste, cover, and leave to cook for about 30 minutes (the cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces). Finally, remove the lid and continue cooking to let the sauce thicken for another 10 minutes or so.

Buon Appetito!

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