Peperoncini, the common Italian name for dried red chillies, are grown predominantly in the south of Italy. The hotter the climate, the more pungent the chilli. We use these small chillies, dried, in many of our sauces and soups. They are an essential part of the Italian larder.
In Abruzzo, little dried red chillies are cooked whole without being broken into the dish. It is the seeds that make the food really hot. They are called ‘diavolicchio’ and are used in many dishes.
The fresh, larger and thicker-fleshed red chillies, to be found in most supermarkets, have a milder taste. It is easy to remove their seeds to ensure that the flavour is sweet and spicy, not hot. Do so by halving the chilli lengthways and scraping out the seeds, then chop or slice. Mix chopped red chilli with extra virgin olive oil for a simple sauce.
Fully ripe green chillies have a fresher, less sweet flavour. They can often be quite mild, so are suitable for mixing with herbs, to enhance the flavour, and lemon juice before adding extra virgin olive oil.
An Italian way of flavouring vegetables is to add them to a pan in which you have softened garlic and dried chilli. Toss for a few moments and serve at room temperature.