Stuffed Motta square peppers have always been close to my heart, taking me back to my childhood. This recipe was perfected by Lidia Alciati, the great cook at the restaurant da Guido, and also my very good friend. But, above all, it was one of the dishes made by my aunt Vigiota, my mother’s sister: she was a “cusinera”, which meant that she went to cook for the rich. Nowadays she’d be known as a personal chef. My uncle used to take her to work with his ox and cart. She’d go from one farmhouse to the other with her bags full of pots and pans, vegetables, meat and recipes. And her stuffed peppers were so exquisite, that people still remember them today.
The annual Pepper Fair is held in Motta di Costigliole every year, at the beginning of August.

Stuffed Motta square pepper rolls

Ingredients for eight people:

• 2 yellow peppers;
• 2 red peppers;
• 200 g of tuna in oil;
• 40 g of mayonnaise;
• 4/5 anchovy fillets;
• a sprig of parsley;
• 12 desalted capers;
• 1 spoonful of white wine vinegar.

Roast the peppers in the oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes, then take them out and leave them to cool. Peel away the skins and divide the peppers into 4 pieces, cleaning them with a sheet of kitchen roll.
While the peppers are in the oven, finely chop the parsley, anchovy fillets, tuna and capers using a half-moon, to obtain a very fine mixture, binding it with mayonnaise and vinegar.
Fill each strip of pepper with a large spoonful of the filling and form a small roll, placing it on a serving plate, alternating the red peppers with the yellow ones.
Before serving, drizzle over some olive oil, salt and vinegar mixed together in a bowl.