Peperonata with olive-grilled ciabatta, basil and parmesan shavings

The quality of the oil is crucial here, and the quantity too, though I know it seems a lot and there are many peperonata recipes without it - I once ate one in Sicily that was close to a puree. The idea of my version is a very rich stew, meltingly comforting but with a little kick, the sweetness of the peppers drawn out by slow and low simmering in a fruity olive oil: the slowness teases out the peppers, the low heat leaves the flavour in the olive oil. You can leave out the olives and the