Patate e Peperoni Recipe AKA Patate e Pipi (Potatoes and Bell Peppers)

Patate e Peperoni, Sardella, N’duja, Fressurata, Pasta al Forno, Parmigiana, Vrasciole. These are the foods we think of when someone says the word Calabria. But let’s be clear, Patate e Peperoni is at the top of that list.

Patate e Peperoni translates to potatoes and peppers. However, you might see this same dish called: Pipi e Patate Frijute, Patate e Pipi Frijute, Pipi e Patate, Patate e Pipi. They all mean the same thing, potatoes and peppers fried together until perfectly golden, slightly crispy, and joyful nostalgia fills every corner of your home.

This dish is magical because it somehow transports you back to a special place in time, even if you’ve never made it before. It takes me, Skyler, back to my grandmother’s bright yellow kitchen in San Francisco, the smell of sweet bell peppers coming from the oven. For Giuseppe, it’s the scent of a childhood spent in Le Castella and magically reminds him of a grandfather he never had the chance to meet.

The Potatoes First or the Peppers

The biggest debate in Patate e Peperoni is what to fry first, the potatoes or the peppers? If you ask a Calabrian, “how do you make Pipi e Patate?” they’ll most likely tell you to just fry some potatoes and peppers. However, once you actually watch them make this dish, you’ll notice small differences from household to household.

For example, Giuseppe’s aunt always adds the potatoes and peppers to the pan at the same time. Meanwhile, Lina always likes to start with the peppers. Others might start with the potatoes. And some people like to fry the potatoes and peppers separately and then add them together at the end (we don’t have time for that).

Then comes the salt debate. Some say to only salt the potatoes and peppers once they’re in a bowl. Others insist on salting while everything is still frying in the pan. Like most things in Italy, small things become very complex. We like to start with the peppers because they need longer to cook in order to become slightly sweet and it’s what Lina would do. [Side note: can we make What Would Lina Do (WWLD) a thing?]. The goal with the potatoes is to cook them through and then allow them to lightly brown and become golden. They’re not going to crisp into the perfect french fry, however, the edges can have a little crispness to them.

What Type of Peppers Should I Use?

We have used regular ol’ green peppers and all different colors of bell peppers. Our favorite way to make this dish is with mostly green bell peppers with some orange or red bell pepper. The green bell peppers are bitter and red bell pepper adds the perfect sweetness. Experiment and see what you like best!

Stainless Steel vs Cast Iron vs Nonstick

We cook almost exclusively in stainless steel or cast iron, however, for this dish a large nonstick pan is highly recommended. If you’re an expert frier you can absolutely use a cast iron. If you choose to use stainless steel it’s very likely the potatoes will stick to the bottom of the pan in a goopy mess (been there, done that), it’s not fun to clean up. We’ve tried several times and even using larger amounts of oil, it never works out. Cast iron might work if the pan is seasoned exceptionally well maybe use a bit more oil? We aren’t making any promises. To be safe, just use a nonstick.

Alright, here is our recipe for Patate e Peperoni!