Sweet pepper ragu
This is seriously easy to make - it just takes a bit of patience, as you wait for it to cook down and release all of its gorgeous sweet pepper flavours. This is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day (and the day after that!).
Serve it on its own as a soup or stew, or as a sauce for pasta or rice. It’s also delicious with fish and chicken; the choice is yours.
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed2 red onions, peeled and sliced3 red peppers, deseeded and sliced3 orange peppers, deseeded and sliced2 green peppers, deseeded and sliced2 sticks of celery, sliced400g can chopped tomatoesA slurp Worcestershire sauceFreshly ground black pepper, to taste2 tbsp dried Italian mixed herbs18 black olives, pitted and halvedA handful of fresh basil, chopped
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic, onion and peppers and fry, stirring frequently for 3–4 minutes until everything is soft. Reduce the heat, cover, and let it cook, very gently, for around 1 hour. Every once in a while, take the lid off and give it a stir.
After the peppers have been cooking for 30 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes, the Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and the mixed herbs
Continue to cook for a further 30 minutes, then add the olives and chopped basil 5 minutes before serving
From The Bikini Promise, by Sally Bee. Published by Kyle Books, priced £14.99Photography by Clare Winfield