Stuffed Cherry Peppers With Prosciutto and Provolone: An Irresistible Italian Appetizer 🫶🍽.

 

What You Need to Know First

• “Cherry peppers” are small round peppers, often pickled (hot or sweet), used in antipasto. epicurious.com+2Lidia+2

• Many recipes use pickled cherry peppers (already in brine) so you don’t have to blanch or pickle them yourself. epicurious.com+1

• The classic filling is a cube of provolone wrapped in a strip of prosciutto, then stuffed into the pepper. williams-sonoma.com+3Lidia+3epicurious.com+3

• After stuffing, many recipes pack the stuffed peppers in jars with olive oil (and sometimes pepper brine) and let them marinate for a day or more for flavors to meld. Mezzetta+3Lidia+3epicurious.com+3

• You can serve them right away (after minimal resting) or after a few days of marinating. epicurious.com+3thedaintygreenapron.com+3Mezzetta+3

In short: you’re going to core the pepper, wrap cheese in prosciutto, stuff the pepper, and marinate / preserve.

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Yield & Timing (Estimate)

• Yields: ~16–24 stuffed peppers (depending on pepper size)

• Active prep time: ~25–40 minutes

• Rest / marinating time: at least a few hours; best after overnight or up to 3 days

• Total time until ready to serve: ~1 day (if marinating), but you can eat sooner

If you skip marinating, they’re still delicious, but marinated ones develop deeper flavor.

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Ingredients

Here’s a full ingredients list; you can scale up or down.

Component	Ingredient	Amount or Suggestion
Peppers	Pickled cherry peppers (hot or sweet)	~1 jar (16 fl oz) or about 16–24 peppers
Cheese	Provolone, sharp or medium	~100–120 g (cut into cubes)
Meat	Prosciutto, thin slices	Enough to wrap every cheese cube (e.g. ~100 g)
Herbs & seasoning	Fresh parsley (chopped)	~1 Tbsp (for flavor / garnish) Lidia
	Dried oregano	~½ tsp Lidia
Oil & liquid	Olive oil (extra virgin)	Enough to cover peppers in jar
	Optional: pepper brine (from the jar of peppers)	To help flavor and preserve epicurious.com+2Mezzetta+2

Optional additions (for more complexity):

• Garlic slices or garlic cloves

• Chili flakes

• Basil leaves

• Red wine vinegar splash

• Sea salt & black pepper (sparingly)

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Equipment & Tools

• Sharp paring knife or small pick (to remove seeds)

• Spoon or small scoop

• Cutting board

• Bowl for filling

• Sterile jars (mason jars) with lids (wide‑mouth helps)

• Measuring spoons

• Paper towels

• (Optional) Gloves — pepper handling can sting

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Step‑by‑Step Instructions

Below is a comprehensive process. Follow closely, and adapt based on your peppers / taste.

1. Prepare Your Peppers

1. Drain the pickled cherry peppers if using from a jar. Reserve some brine if available.

2. Pat the peppers dry (paper towel) to reduce excess moisture.

3. Using a paring knife or small spoon, cut off the top (stem end) of each pepper (about one-third down) or make a slit, and carefully remove the core / seeds / membranes, being careful not to tear the pepper walls. Mezzetta+3williams-sonoma.com+3epicurious.com+3

4. Rinse gently (if desired) and pat dry again.

Tip: Be gentle so you don’t split the pepper casing. Also, wear gloves if peppers are hot to avoid stinging skin.

2. Prepare the Filling

1. Cut your provolone cheese into cubes sized to fit inside each pepper (for instance ~1 cm or slightly more).

2. Cut prosciutto slices into strips or squares that can wrap around each cheese cube.

3. Wrap each cube of provolone in one strip (or fold) of prosciutto. You want a snug wrap, trimming the prosciutto to fit without too much overhang. williams-sonoma.com+3Lidia+3epicurious.com+3

4. (Optional) In a bowl, you can toss chopped parsley, oregano, a little of the reserved brine or olive oil to flavor the filling. Then mix with your wrapped cubes list if you want some herb presence inside/around. (Many recipes just use plain wrapped cheese + prosciutto, and add herbs in the jar.) Lidia+1

3. Stuff the Peppers

1. Gently push each prosciutto-wrapped cheese cube into the cavity of a pepper. Don’t force it; if it’s snug, trim a bit of wrap or cheese so it fits neatly.

2. If there’s extra space, you can tuck in a thin sliver of prosciutto or more herbs.

3. Place each stuffed pepper upright (or stable) in a clean jar or container that will hold them without too much shifting.

4. Pack & Marinate

This is where flavors develop and preservation happens.

1. Arrange the stuffed peppers snugly in your jar, leaving minimal gaps.

2. Add a few pinches of chopped parsley and oregano over/among peppers. Lidia

3. Pour in the pepper brine (if you reserved) to come within ~1 inch of the top. This adds acidity and flavor. epicurious.com+1

4. Then add enough olive oil to fully cover the peppers. Ensure the peppers are submerged in oil to prevent air exposure. delallo.com+3Lidia+3epicurious.com+3

5. Seal the jar tightly.

6. Shake gently to distribute oil and herbs.

7. Refrigerate and marinate for at least overnight, but ideally 2–3 days for best flavor development. Mezzetta+3Lidia+3epicurious.com+3

You can serve them after a shorter rest, but flavor will be milder. Many sources say they store well for a few days. epicurious.com+2Lidia+2

5. Serving

• Remove from jar, drain excess oil before serving.

• Serve at room temperature — cold flavors can be muted. epicurious.com

• Present on a small platter with toothpicks or as part of a charcuterie / antipasto board.

• Drizzle a little fresh olive oil over them before serving or garnish with extra herbs.

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Variations & Enhancements

Here are many ways to adapt or elevate this basic recipe.

Variations in Filling

• Add basil leaf inside with the wrap (prosciutto + provolone + basil). thedaintygreenapron.com

• Mix cheeses: use provolone + mozzarella or provolone + aged cheddar for contrast.

• Add a tiny dab of ricotta or cream cheese with the provolone (though be cautious: softer cheeses might ooze).

• For less sharpness, use milder provolone or swap in caciocavallo.

Variations on Peppers / Heat

• Use hot cherry peppers for more spice; or sweet cherry peppers for milder flavor. Mezzetta+2Lidia+2

• Combine red & green peppers for color contrast. epicurious.com

Marinating / Oil Choices

• Mix olive oil + a lighter oil (e.g. canola) so that oil doesn’t solidify too hard in refrigeration. Reddit+1

• Add a splash of white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar in jar for extra tang.

• Add garlic cloves or chili flakes between peppers in jar for added flavor.

• Let them marinate longer (2–3 days) for deeper flavor.

Optional Cooking / Grilling Finish

• Some recipes grill or broil the peppers briefly before or after stuffing to char lightly. (One grill version wraps prosciutto around the stuffed pepper and cooks until crisping) Serious Eats+1

• You could lightly bake them (200 °C, 5–10 min) just to warm through before serving, though traditional versions are not cooked further.

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Tips & Troubleshooting

Issue	Reason / Cause	Fix
Pepper walls split or tear	Too aggressive coring or thin pepper	Use a sharp small knife, remove seeds gently, choose sturdier peppers
Filling falls out	Loose wrap or under-stuffed	Trim wrap or cheese, ensure snug fit
Cheese melts too much / oozes	Too soft cheese, or marinate too hot	Use firmer provolone, keep refrigeration
Oil firm in fridge (too solid)	Pure olive oil solidifies	Mix with canola or lighter oil
Flavor too mild	Insufficient marinating time or brine	Marinate longer, add more brine, herbs, vinegar
Peppers float or not submerged	Inadequate oil coverage	Use more oil, press peppers down, use smaller jar for snug fit

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Full Printable Recipe: Stuffed Cherry Peppers with Prosciutto & Provolone

Serves: ~16–24 bites
Prep Time: ~30–40 min + 24–72 h marinating
Total Time: ~1–3 days (for best flavor)

Ingredients

• ~16–24 pickled cherry peppers (hot or sweet)

• ~100–120 g provolone cheese, cut into cubes

• ~100 g prosciutto, thinly sliced and cut into strips to wrap cheese

• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• Olive oil (enough to fully cover peppers)

• (Optional) Vinegar or reserved pepper brine

Instructions

1. Prepare Peppers

   • Drain and pat dry cherry peppers.

   • Cut off tops, remove seeds & membranes carefully.

2. Prepare Filling

   • Cut provolone into cubes sized to fit.

   • Cut prosciutto into strips.

   • Wrap each cube in prosciutto snugly.

   • (Optional) mix parsley, oregano, and a little brine or oil into filling for flavor.

3. Stuff

   • Insert wrapped cheese into cavity of each pepper snugly.

   • Arrange them upright in a jar or container.

4. Pack & Marinate

   • Add parsley & oregano between peppers.

   • Pour in brine (if reserved) to near top.

   • Add olive oil to cover.

   • Seal jar, shake gently.

   • Refrigerate at least overnight; better 2–3 days.

5. Serve

   • Remove from jar, drain excess oil.

   • Serve at room temperature on platter, optionally garnished with herbs or olive oil drizzle.

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Why It’s So Good & Flavor Notes

• You get tang and heat from the pepper (especially if hot cherry pepper)

• Creamy, sharp bite from the provolone

• Salty, savory depth from prosciutto

• Herbs and oil carry flavors and preserve the bite

• Marinating allows all elements to meld — the oil picks up pepper flavor, prosciutto cures a bit further, cheese soaks light flavors

This is the kind of bite you pop into your mouth and your eyes open — spicy, savory, creamy, tangy all at once.

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If you like, I can send you a metric & local‑ingredient version for Morocco, or a lighter / lower fat version, or a spicy version. Which one would you prefer?