The pepper and egg sandwich is beloved by Italian-Americans for its versatility, simplicity, and affordability. Green bell and/or cubanelle peppers are combined with onions, and scrambled eggs, and piled on deli or hero rolls. The ultimate make-and-take sandwich, it can be prepared quickly, wrapped, and taken anywhere, or enjoyed at home.
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Nostalgia in every bite
Walk into any pizzeria in the New York metro area and you’re bound to find the pepper and egg sandwich on the menu. This is the type of food my grandmother and probably every other Italian-American were raised on.
Affordable and perfect to eat any time of the year IMO, the pepper and egg sandwich sees an uptick during Fridays in Lent when most Catholic Italian-Americans choose meatless meals, such as homemade pizza, baked ziti, or pasta and peas.
But my favorite quality of the pepper and egg sandwich is its nostalgia. Food, much like certain smells, has an uncanny ability to stir up memories, and with them emotions.
Every time I bite into a pepper and egg sandwich, I’m taken back to a simpler time where I’d find this sandwich, lovingly packed for me, at the beach, a ballgame, or even at school.
If you’re making this sandwich to take with you on the go, wrap it in foil and it will stay warm for hours. You can wrap the same way that’s shown in our bacon egg and cheese sandwich recipe.
How to make it
- Begin by seeding and chopping 2 large green bell peppers and 1 large Italian frying pepper, also known as a cubanelle. You can also use all of the same type of one pepper if you prefer.
- Chop 2 medium onions.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil then the peppers and onions. Sautee for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to coat the onions and peppers with the olive oil.
- Add in the 3 ounces of water and cover. Cook the peppers and onions until soft (about 8 minutes).
- Beat 10 eggs in a large bowl.
- After 8 minutes, remove the lid. The peppers and onions should be quite soft. Cook the peppers and onions for 2 minutes longer, uncovered, to evaporate a bit of the water. Season the peppers and onions with 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the well-beaten eggs.
- Depending on the size of your pan you might have to scramble them as shown in pic 8 above. If you’re using a very large pan or fewer eggs you can fold and flip the eggs around the onions and peppers to create a pancake or omelet. Either way, make sure to not overcook the eggs. Taste test the pepper and eggs and make any final adjustments to salt and pepper if required. Once satisfied, serve immediately on hero or round rolls.
Top tips
- The bread. The bread for pepper and egg sandwiches is important. My first two choices are a poppy seed deli roll, the kind you’d get if you order a bacon egg and cheese at a NY deli; and the hero roll. If these are not available to you, you can also use a half, or quarter, of a seeded loaf of Italian or Semolina bread.
- The peppers. Green peppers and cubanelles are my go-tos for this sandwich for their taste, and to keep the sandwich authentic. Red, yellow, and orange peppers are great, but I find them too sweet and mild for the pepper and egg sandwich. You really need the stronger flavor that comes from the green bell pepper. You can use either all green bell, all green cubanelle – also know as Italian frying peppers which are great stuffed!, or a combination of the two.
- The eggs. They need to be kept soft for this sandwich, so cook them until they are just done and then remove from the heat right away.
- Add-ins. If you like some heat, add some sliced cherry peppers to your pepper and egg sandwich. If cheese is your thing, shred some block mozzarella and add it to the sandwich. So good!
- Sandwich assembly. If you’re making this for 1-2 people, use fewer eggs and peppers (this recipe is for 4 sandwiches), and consider wrapping the eggs around the peppers and onions, almost like an omelet. This will allow for easier placement onto the sandwich bread.
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Pepper and Egg Sandwich
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs beaten
- 2 large green bell peppers seeded and chopped, see notes below
- 1 large Italian frying pepper seeded and chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 4 round deli-style rolls or 3 hero (sub, hoagie) rolls
- 3/8 cup olive oil
- 3 ounces water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
- In a large pan saute the peppers and onions in a ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes then add the water and cover. Cook for 8 minutes or until peppers and onions are soft.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook the peppers and onions for 2 minutes more to evaporate a bit of the water. Add the remaining olive oil and season the peppers and onions with salt and pepper.
- Turn heat to medium-low and add the well-beaten eggs into the pan. Scramble the eggs until just cooked. Turn off the heat and taste test. Adjust salt and pepper if required.
- Once satisfied, pile the pepper and eggs onto round or hero rolls and eat right away. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 4 round roll sandwiches or about 3 hero sandwiches.
- Calorie info is for 1 round sandwich.
- Green bell peppers or Italian frying peppers (cubanelle) are recommended over sweeter red or yellow bell peppers.
- Traditionally this sandwich isn’t served with anything but pepper and eggs, but you can certainly “upgrade” the sandwich with cherry peppers, Calabrian chili paste, or mozzarella cheese, and/or Pecorino Romano.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days. Reheat in 350f oven or microwave until warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I picked my first peppers of the season today and thought this would be a great way to serve them. As usual, your recipe did not disappoint. Wonderfully flavorful and rustic. 5 stars! Thank you, Jim and Tara!!
So glad you enjoyed!
I made your recipe tonight, cutting the ingredients in half since it was just for myself. It brought back a lot of memories. When I was a kid, my mother would always order a pepper & egg hero with sauce from our nearby pizzeria on summer nights when it was too hot to cook! Thanks for the throwback!
So glad you enjoyed, Nora!
My dad used to take me to a breakfast place in Totowa NJ when I was little and this was the sandwich we used to get. I always loved it. Brings back memories. I will try this recipe soon! Thanks for posting it
Glad this brought back some memories for you!
Growing up in Brooklyn NY my mother made these for our road trips. She would put the mixture on a Kaiser roll, which she kept hot in a wide mouth thermos. Childhood memories, over 75 years ago.
I have never heard of this sandwich before and am so excited to add it to my repertoire! I need to improve my breakfast and lunch choices and this will be perfect. But, Jim, I am concerned about taking it to the beach, games, etc.
Hi Sharon, we don’t allow linking to third party websites, so that portion of your comment was held and removed. As far as transporting the sandwich and perishable food in general, you can follow food safety guidelines for storage and transport. Packing the sandwiches in a cooler, along with any other food, is what we do if we are bringing food anywhere.
Just want to say you are awesome and my mother (born in Sicily, came here at age 18) makes this as well. And thank you for your eggplant rollatini recipe!
What a blast from the past! Though I’m a midwesterner, my grandmother would make a simple scrambled egg sandwich with just lettuce, mayo and mustard often for our lunches while we stayed at their lake cottage. She even made some for the guys that were working on their cottage as it was beind built. They had left their bags of MacDonald’s unattended and my grandparents’ dog found it. I don’t think they were thrilled the egg sanwiches, but I loved them! I will definately try you recipe!
This takes me back to my childhood & I’m 71!! My mother always made these for our days spent at Coney Island beach – nothing better than a pepper & egg sandwich after playing in the water & sand all morning!!!!! Thanks for the memory!
This was our goto growing up for road trips from when I was a kid but we didn’t to onions and we added a little tomato sauce for moisture.
OMG!!! My mouth is ready!! Peppers and eggs on a Kaiser roll!!!!!!!!!
Made this for dinner tonight. I was skeptical about adding the water, but I honestly think this may have been the best thing I have ever made! My mom used to make it when I was little. Delicious and so easy!!
So happy you enjoyed it, Jessica!
I’m from Chicago, and you’ve brought a taste of home to me. I’ve been saving a lot of your recipes, because I’m single and don’t want to eat like it. Thanks for making me feel like my Nonna’s watching over me. Salute!
We’re so happy to hear that, Tony!
This was and is a family favorite. I make it often and it never fails to bring back memories of my mom. She was a terrific cook.
Thank you for your recipes. I enjoy watching you on YouTube.
Regards,
Rosalie
We’re so happy to hear that, Rosalie. Thanks for the comment!
found cubanelle peppers in a bag in HEB Dallas area . So delicious !
Reminds me of my growing up days in NY. Thanx, great recipe. The steaming was the part I didn’t remember and its the trick!
Ahhhhh, peppers and eggs on a hard roll( Kaiser roll for some).
Now THAT makes me hungry ….it’s a “don’t talk to me now kinda sandwich”!!!!!!!
His recipes are simple, authentic and delicious. I absolutely love his cookbook.
Delicious!! It’s exactly how my Italian Mom used to make them!
I feel like I traveled home to my AuntCamillas house. It brought back sweet memories. She would make pepper and egg sandwich’s for lunch or Dinner. Thanks for the memories. This is a keeper.
We’re so happy to hear that, Mary!
My Italian family grew up eating these every day in the summer. I just made one yesterday. We always used cubanelle peppers, though they are hard to come by if you don’t have an Italian grocery or a store that specializes in produce. It was this on Italian bread and you were in hog heaven. This was the only food I ever saw my grandfather make for himself. Amazing something so simple can taste so very good.
So glad the recipe resonated with you, Paula!