Rice with Sicilian Stewed Peppers

The people of Sicily cook multicolored peppers, sweet onion, and ripe
tomatoes, gently with a bit of garlic, some olives, and a few capers
until everything is meltingly tender and intensely aromatic.
Traditionally, this dish is served as a vegetable, but with a little
bit of creativity it can become a healthy, delicious first course.

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds red, yellow and green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut
into 12-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
8 to 10 small green pitted olives, quartered
1 to 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded, or 1tablespoon chopped fresh
flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 & 1/2 cups imported Arborio rice

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers
and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the
onion and cook until onion and peppers are lightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic, olives and capers and stir once or twice. Add the tomatoes
and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and partially
cover the skillet. Simmer the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until
they are soft and tender and the juices in the skillet have thickened, 35
to 40 minutes. Stir in the basil or parsley. Remove from heat and set
aside until ready to use. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over
high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the rice, and stir briefly with a
wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring
occasionally, until the rice is tender but still 'al dente', 13 to 15
minutes. Drain the rice, making sure to leave it a bit wet, and place it
in a warm serving bowl. Add the pepper mixture to the rice and mix well.
Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve. Serves 4.

"Angela's Italian Organic Oregano"

If you would like more of our Italian and Sicilian recipes straight
from Italy, be sure to visit OreganoFromItaly.com

Ciao-Ciao!
Angela


--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at .
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: http://www.cdkitchen.com/rfr/ http://recipes.alastra.com/