Bell peppers stuffed with piperade — a Basque pepper and tomato stew — and slices of Basque sausage.
Piperade is a specialty of the French Basque Country, a stew of peppers, onions and tomatoes cooked down slowly until sweet and jammy, traditionally served with Bayonne ham or local sausage (like the spicy Basque chorizo-style saucisse). This dish takes that same piperade base and uses it to stuff bell peppers, adding a natural circularity — pepper filling served inside pepper shells — and rounds it out with slices of sausage nestled into the filling.\n\nThe technique that makes piperade work is cooking the peppers and onions low and slow until they truly collapse and turn sweet, not just softened — this can take a full 20-25 minutes and shouldn't be rushed, since the whole character of the dish depends on that deep, jammy cooked-down texture rather than crunchy, barely-sauteed vegetables.\n\nServe warm as a light dinner or starter, with crusty bread to mop up the juices — this is Basque country home cooking, simple and vegetable-forward with just enough sausage to make it filling.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the 4 pepper halves cut-side up in a baking dish and roast 10 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and additional peppers, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes until fully softened and jammy.
Add garlic and Espelette pepper and cook 1 minute, then add tomatoes and simmer 8-10 minutes until thickened.
Cook the piperade low and slow until it truly collapses into a jammy texture — rushing this step with high heat leaves the vegetables crunchy instead of silky.
Stir in sliced sausage and cook 3-4 minutes to warm through.
Fill the roasted pepper halves with the piperade and sausage mixture, then bake 15 minutes.
Crack an egg into a small well in the center of each stuffed pepper (or scramble the eggs separately and spoon over) and bake 8-10 more minutes until the eggs are set to your liking.
Top with parsley and serve warm.
Give the piperade the full 20-25 minutes of slow cooking — this is what turns raw, crunchy peppers into the sweet, silky texture that defines the dish.
Use Espelette pepper if you can find it; it's the traditional Basque chile with mild heat and fruity flavor, though a small pinch of cayenne and paprika together gets close.
Pre-roast the shell peppers before stuffing so they're tender, not crunchy, once the filling and eggs are baked in.
Skip the egg and serve the piperade-stuffed peppers as a simpler side dish or starter.
Use Bayonne ham instead of sausage for a more traditional, slightly less spicy version.
Add a handful of shredded Ossau-Iraty or another sheep's milk cheese on top before the final bake for a Basque cheese finish.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, though the egg is best enjoyed fresh. Reheat covered in the oven or microwave.
Piperade is a signature dish of the French Basque Country in the far southwest of France, traditionally made with the region's sweet peppers, tomatoes and Espelette pepper, and often served alongside eggs or Bayonne ham. It reflects the Basque region's distinct culinary identity within France, shaped by its own peppers, chile and cured meats.
A small pinch of cayenne combined with sweet paprika gets you reasonably close — Espelette pepper is mild with fruity notes rather than sharply hot, so use less cayenne than you might think.
Yes, the piperade filling keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated before stuffing the peppers — just add the eggs fresh right before the final bake.
Yes, piperade is traditionally served in many forms, including vegetarian — simply omit the sausage and add a bit more olive oil for richness, or top with a poached egg instead.
Per serving (340g / 12.0 oz) · 4 servings total
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