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Frankie Celenza | June 2026 |
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Bell peppers are one of those vegetables I buy all year because they’re consistently tasty, but in summer they really hit their stride. My first memories of peppers are from the late 80s and very early 90s at the Italian-American street festivals on 9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. The aromas of sausage, peppers, and onions filled the avenue, challenged only by freshly fried zeppole. In a lot of ways, that introduction to peppers was in a supporting role. |
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Lately, I’m using peppers as the star of the show. So here’s the idea: I’m starting with peppers, cherry tomatoes, and spaghetti, then letting those ingredients show up in five different dinners this week. Peperonata Pasta first.Then chicken pizzaiola, spaghetti and broccoli, corn chowder, and enchiladas.
I’ve been making Struggle Meals for ten seasons now – new episodes are live every Sunday, and this week’s is worth watching. (There’s a technique I use with the peppers that completely changes the sauce. Watch here!). I find it’s always a good idea to start by searing and sautéing bigger pieces, then let them become what they will.
Week three: five dinners, one pound of spaghetti, a bag of peppers, a pint of cherry tomatoes. Here’s how to use it all.
All five recipes in one place — with a grocery list built in. → Get it.
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Recipe one
Peperonata Pasta
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Peperonata is one of those sauces that lets summer vegetables carry dinner. Peppers, onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes cook down until they get sweet and soft, then a splash of vinegar brings everything back into focus. Simple but not plain.
I use sherry vinegar here, but red wine vinegar works too. The point is that little bit of acidity at the end. It keeps the sauce bright.
The mozzarella goes on after the pasta is plated, so it stays fresh against the warm sauce. Red pepper flakes are optional, but I like them here. Same with the pistachios. No nuts, no problem — chopped Castelvetrano olives bring that salty, briny bite.
It took me some time to learn all this. Forward this email to someone who could use a plan.
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Recipe two
Chicken Pizzaiola
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Chicken pizzaiola is chicken in pizza’s clothing: tomato, herbs, mozzarella, done. I’m here for the cheese pull, and if red pepper flakes aren’t the move, I leave them out. I also cook the extra chicken from the pack before the sauce goes in, then set it aside for later in the week. |
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SHARED INGREDIENTS
mozzarella basil red pepper flakes
DINNER WIN
kid-approved
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Recipe three
Spaghetti and Broccoli
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This is the pasta I make when I have spaghetti in the cabinet, broccoli in the fridge, and no interest in making dinner complicated. The broccoli gets sliced thin so it softens into the garlic oil and pasta water. Same spaghetti as the peperonata, completely different dinner. And honestly — swap the broccoli for whatever's in the fridge. Zucchini, asparagus, whatever looks like it needs to be used. The technique stays the same, the dinner changes every time. |
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SHARED INGREDIENTS
spaghetti garlic red pepper flakes
DINNER WIN
under 30 min
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Recipe four
Summer Corn Chowder
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This chowder makes a strong case for soup in June. The corn cobs become the broth before they go anywhere near the trash, which means more flavor from something I already paid for. It also makes ahead well, which is never a bad thing. |
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SHARED INGREDIENTS
bell peppers cherry tomatoes basil
DINNER WIN
make ahead
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Recipe five
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
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By the end of the week, I want the last pepper to feel like it had a plan all along. This is where it goes, with the rest of the chicken I bought for the pizzaiola, tortillas, salsa verde, and enough cheese to make everyone stop asking what’s for dinner. It’s flexible without announcing itself as flexible. |
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SHARED INGREDIENTS
bell peppers garlic chicken
DINNER WIN
use-it-up dinner
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Ingredients pulling double (or triple) duty this week: |
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Bell peppers — Peperonata, Chowder, Enchiladas Cherry tomatoes — Peperonata, Chowder Basil — Peperonata, Pizzaiola, Chowder Mozzarella — Peperonata, Pizzaiola |
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Spaghetti — Peperonata, Broccoli Pasta Garlic — Peperonata, Broccoli Pasta, Enchiladas Red pepper flakes — Peperonata, Pizzaiola, Broccoli Pasta Chicken — Pizzaiola, Enchiladas |
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