Ingredients

Servings 4

• 4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, sliced
• 2 red peppers
• 4 tablespoons Academia Barilla 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt
• 5 basil leaves

Preparation

15 minutes preparation

Wash peppers well. Dry and remove the stem, then cut in half.

Remove the seeds and white part inside. Slice into thin strips.

Place the peppers into a salad bowl and add the Parmigiano shavings, olive oil, a pinch of salt and the chopped basil. Toss well and serve.

Food History

When Christopher Columbus arrived in America, he discovered that the Aztecs were already growing a wide variety of peppers that they ate fresh or dried for long trips. Imported to Europe, peppers found an ideal habitat to grow in, however it took a couple of centuries before they were considered widespread. In written texts from the 13th century, there are already recipes for pepper-based sauces. Peppers were probably considered more of a poor man’s food than that of the nobles. Also in the 13th century, Vincenzo Corrado, a Neapolitan chef, described them in one of his books as a “rustic and unrefined” vegetable. It wasn’t until the 19th century that peppers were eaten by all classes and even served preserved in vinegar at the table of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Other suggested recipes

• Parmigiano Reggiano and Artichoke Salad
• Shrimp salad
• Pineapple and Melon Salad