These roasted peppers over garlic ricotta sauce have many variations in the Balkan & Mediterranean region, especially in Albanian families. Some might call it ‘speca me gjizë’, some might call it ‘speca me mazë’. We’ll talk about variations below, but for now grab some bread, dig in and learn how to make this summer dish:).
If you have ever tried this dish, it might look slightly different. Most families use long green peppers which are more prevalent in summer time in the Mediterranean.
You can grill the peppers, roast them or even pan fry/air fry them. Remove the seeds and peel, cut them in strips and store them on the side as you make the sauce.
Ricotta Sauce
Back home we have some milk products like gjize or maze or kajmak that are difficult to find an exact equivalent in United States. For example gjizë has the consistency of cottage cheese but tastes more like ricotta, slightly more salty.
So for this recipe I decided to use ricotta and top off the peppers at the end with crumbled feta cheese, to get as close to the original flavor as possible.
I usually mince 2-3 garlic cloves, sauté them in olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Then I add the ricotta and cook on the lowest setting. Stir occasionally and keep cooking until the sauce has incorporated garlic, ricotta and olive oil into a loose consistency sauce. I sprinkle some sea salt over the sauce for extra flavor.
Then I add the strips of peeled peppers back on the pan, cook for few more minutes for flavors to get to know each other. Then I top off the dish with feta cheese and finely chopped parsley. Dig in with some warm bread:)).
Roasted Peppers Over Garlic Ricotta Sauce
Equipment
- parchment pepper
Ingredients
- 2 lbs long peppers
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 16 ozs ricotta
- 2 ozs feta cheese crumbled
- 1-2 tbsps fresh parsley finely chopped
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the peppers or let them air dry in a colander. Then place them over parchment paper in a baking tray.
- Roast peppers at 425 degrees F until their skin is blistered, usually about 20 minutes. You can flip them for 5 more minutes to allow for skin to blister on the other side too. Let peppers cool to touch after they're done roasting.
- Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot, add 2 tbsps of olive oil and minced garlic. Use a wooden spoon to stir the garlic a bit until it becomes aromatic.
- Add ricotta and mix, lower heat to low so ricotta doesn't splatter. Add sea salt to taste. Let the sauce cook slowly as you peel the peppers. Make sure they're cool to touch. Remove seeds and peel. Cut peppers in long strips.
- Add the peppers in ricotta sauce and mix, don't forget to pour the juice from the peppers as that add flavor to the sauce. Mix to allow for flavors to twine together.
- Top off with crumbled feta cheese and fresh parsley to garnish the dish. Use warm bread, pita or sourdough to dig in and enjoy this dish:).
Notes
- It’s usually a main course in the Mediterranean but in the hot summer days, when you’re eating outdoors you don’t want a heavy meal. But under other circumstances I’d classify this as more of a meze or light meal.
- We almost never have leftovers from this dish, but if you have any store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for couple of days. Warm up and serve when ready!
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you have any questions please let me know. Feel free to get creative with this recipe, for example you can stuff the peppers with the ricotta sauce and roast them. I’d usually do that with the mini peppers and they turn out fantastic:).
How does your family make this recipe and what region are you from? Looking forward to your comments!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for checking my blog! In the era of AI when everyone can impersonate anyone they want, we often see recipe blogs from people who can’t scramble an egg. So your visit on my blog means more than you know it, thank you!
More Peppers Recipes
Here are some more pepper recipes, some are closer to the traditional version while some others are adapted to a more modern living. Either way, hope you try them and enjoy these recipes as much as I do.
- Albanian Stuffed Peppers
- Roasted Mini Peppers
- Bell Peppers and Feta Cheta (stir fried)
- Red Peppers cooked in Pressure Cooker (gogozhare style)
- Grilled Shishito Peppers
- Grilled Mini Peppers
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