Bell Pepper Tian

Recipe steps

Preparing the bell peppers

Wash the bell peppers (mix of colors, even bumpy ones) without worrying about their shape: a bump or asymmetrical size doesn’t change the taste at all. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and stem, then slice them into strips about 1 cm wide. Keep the trimmings, we’ll use them later.

Cook the onion and garlic

Finely slice the onion and garlic cloves. Sauté them in half of the olive oil over medium heat until they become translucent and fill the kitchen with their aroma.

Simmer the tomato sauce

Add the ripe tomatoes (or tomato pulp) cut into cubes (or the pulp), the herbes de Provence, fine salt, and freshly ground pepper. Let it simmer over low heat so the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.

Assemble the tian

In a gratin dish, pour half of the tomato sauce, arrange the bell pepper strips (mix of colors, even bumpy ones) on top, spreading them evenly (or not, no judgment here), then cover with the remaining sauce.

Make the topping crispy

Mix the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan, sprinkle generously over the dish. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Bake

Bake at 200°C (400°F) until the top is golden and crispy and the peppers are tender. Scatter 8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, just before serving.

Tips and variations

• Tip: if your bell peppers are really meaty (the ones that are twice the normal size, we love them too), extend the cooking time by 5 minutes to soften them properly. For an even more golden crust, pop it under the broiler for 2 minutes at the end, keeping a close eye on the oven (nobody likes burnt cheese).
• Variation: swap the breadcrumbs/parmesan for crumbled feta for a Mediterranean twist. Or add cubes of ugly-but-tasty eggplant or zucchini with the peppers for a true anti-waste tian.