Tuna-filled sweet round peppers

The smell of summer emanates from this recipe that unites small, sweet peppers with tuna. We pair it with a Maremma Vermentino Litoraledi Val di Rose from the Cecchi family.

Ingredients for 6 people:

10 small, round sweet peppers, 350g quality tuna drained of oil, 4 chopped anchovy fillets, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 softened stale bread slices, 2 tablespoons of unsalted and chopped Salina capers, 1 chopped red garlic clove, nutmeg, fresh and chopped aromatic herbs (santoreggia*, oregano and parsley), bread crumbs as needed and salt as needed.

Directions:

Wash and dry the peppers. Cut off the cap and clean out the insides eliminating the seeds and filaments.

Put the tuna in a bowl and break it up mixing in the anchovies, eggs, garlic, capers, aromatic herbs, softened and squeeze-dried bread and some ground nutmeg. Mix until it is uniform and salt to taste, adding in bread crumbs if it needs to be thickened.

Stuff each of the peppers with the filling, put the cap back on and place them right-side up in a baking pan and side by side to ensure they do not fall over. Season with a trickle of oil and a pinch of salt and then bake in an oven pre-heated to 200°C for around an hour.

Serve lukewarm or cold together with a mixed salad or arugula.

*An aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean of the savory family, this is broadly used in traditional dishes of the region due to its many characteristics and is also used as a natural remedy for various disturbances. Sometimes referred to as peppergrass, its aroma recalls wild mint but with a less evident balsamic tone. Its flavor is delicately spicy and similar to black pepper and in the past it was often used as a valid substitute for the more expensive pepper and for this reason it was called “poor-man’s pepper”.

Wine to pair

(by Stefania Vinciguerra)

Litorale Vermentino Maremma Toscana Doc Val delle Rose

Pale yellow color with light golden hues, has a very intense fruity aroma of summer ripe fruit. On the palate there is an important aromatic note combined with a pleasant persistence. It is a generous and intense wine, with great structure and freshness.

Production area: Maremma, Coastal Southern Tuscany. Vineyards are located on hilly slopes at 150 meters above sea level on sandstone rich in decomposing rock soils.
Grape varieties: Vermentino 90%, other varieties 10%, Guyot trained.
Wine-making: The grapes are the first to be harvested at the end of August and first week of September. Vinification off-skin with cold-controlled pre-fermentative maceration. Fermentation in small and medium stainless steel tank. Bottle age minimum 2 months.
Service temperature: 13°C
Alcoholic content: 13%
Suggested food pairing: Serve with fish dishes, seafood and risottos or as an aperitif.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY CECCHI