Why a Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto? For the memories and for my love of Spain and peppers.
The first time I heard about the Carmagnola pepper was a few years ago when my neighbour gave me a jar of pickled peppers prepared by her parents who used to travel to Piedmont every year in September to buy the raw material.
I have never forgotten those peppers: the bright colours, the sweet but firm flavour and the crunchy texture made me fall in love at first taste. It was that taste that prompted me to find out where this delicious fruit of the earth came from.
Carmagnola and its pepper
Its land of origin is precisely the Carmagnola area in Piedmont and there are various types (the one I tasted was the ‘Corno di bue’, perfect for preserves). The pepper arrived in this area at the beginning of the 20th century and today it represents a fundamental resource for agriculture and the local economy and is a foodstuff known and appreciated in Piedmont and Italy for its intense yellow or bright red colour, its aroma and its wholesomeness.
Every year, in early September, Carmagnola hosts the National Pepper Fair, the largest in Italy dedicated to an agricultural product, offering 10 days of gastronomic, cultural, artistic events, and creative and engaging experiences for all senses and all age groups. Well, this year the fair reaches an extremely important milestone, namely its 70th anniversary, which is being celebrated by collecting recipes that feature pepper as their star. This fresh and fragrant Gazpacho is my way of wishing long life to a product of the earth that often graces our table with its flavours, aromas and colours. All the best, then!
Try also this recipe with Carmagnola peppers: Chicken with peppers and goji berries.
Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto
12.58g carbohydrates per 100g
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 500g yellow tomatoes
- 3 peppers, 2 yellow and 1 red (approx. 270g when cooked and peeled)
- 100g sandwich bread** or these Rustic loaves
- 100g sliced Parma ham
- 100g vegetable stock
- basil leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- chilli, salt and pepper
** Ingredients specific for celiacs
Preparation of Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes
- Clean the peppers, cut them in half, remove the stalk, seeds and white filaments, then place them in the oven under the grill at 200°C until the skin is slightly dark. Seal the peppers in a paper bag and when they are cold, peel them and set them aside. Cut ¾ of the red pepper into strips and keep aside.
- Place the tomatoes, bread, stock and peeled peppers (except for the red pepper in strips) in a blender to obtain a cream; season with chilli, salt and pepper.
- Place the Parma ham in the microwave oven on medium power and short time, and repeat the operation until the ham is crispy.
- Prepare small bowls with the tomato gazpacho, pepper strips, crispy ham pieces, a few basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
The Gazpacho of yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto
Version with gluten of Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto
For the version with gluten of the recipe, replace the gluten-free sandwich bread with conventional bread.
This recipe was submitted for the Contest ‘Carmagnola Pepper: 70 years in 70 recipes’
