Damn, Diamonds! That sure is a mouth full of a title but you know what, these are worth taking a mouthful of! They’re that good! Where I’m from in Pennsylvania these are insanely popular at Italian restaurants and Pizzerias to eat alongside your salads, hoagies, and even entrees. Some of these peppers depending how they were grown can get very hot and very intense, but if you grew up in a big Italian family like I did you’re pretty used to the heat. You may even love it like I do. Most recipes use good olive oil and slices of garlic when it comes to creating the peppers but like always, I wanted to do something more unique. Sometimes simple is best, although these are better! My brother is a huge fan of long hots so he has had many different kinds and he went crazy over this particular rendition. If you crave foods that are packed with flavor and spice, I know you will die for these babies.

Slice a whole white onion and two fresh banana peppers to saute with the long hots. You can either leave them whole, cut them in half, or into three’s depending how long they are. Some of them are really large, so you’ll want to make them smaller for serving!

Saute for ten minutes over medium high heat with lots of good olive oil and two tablespoons of butter for a silky, rich texture.

Spoon in 1/4 cup of chimichurri sauce and two handfuls of Romano cheese. Then, season with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

• Let this simmer for five more minutes, then remove the peppers from the pan to be able to pour out the onions and banana peppers to serve it nicely on a board or platter.

• Before layering the long hots over the onion and pepper mixture, let the hot peppers get one last good char on them so that they’re absolutely perfect.
• When it comes to long hot peppers I like them to be a certain color and a certain texture when indulging in them.

Layer the onion and pepper mixture on the bottom, then pile on the luscious long hot peppers. Garnish with more Romano Cheese and finish with a line of chimichurri across the top.

• As for the chimichurri sauce: You can find this in any local grocery store or super market. If you would like to make your own you could, but it is not necessary for this recipe.

You can serve these long hot peppers alongside cheesesteak hoagies, cold cuts, or New York strip steaks. The traditional way Italians enjoy them are by putting them on top of homemade crusty bread with butter, then topping it with some provolone or fresh mozzarella cheese and finishing it with balsamic glaze. It’s a magical flavor combination that you need to try, especially if you’re interested in learning about food traditions that were passed down from generations in other cultures. If you’re throwing an end of Summer barbecue or house party of some sort, these are perfect to put out next to a charcuterie board so that people can pair different cheeses and flavors with the heat of these treasures!

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xoxo