Italy Peperoni Ripieni (Stuffed Bell Peppers)
In southern Italy, a long growing season combined with intense Mediterranean sun yields bell peppers, or peperoni (singular peperone), that are notoriously sweet and flavorful. An endless combination of ingredients can be used to make peperoni ripieni: ground beef, pork, and veal as well as tuna, eggplant, zucchini, and assorted cheeses. One of the most basic and classic versions of this dish comes from Abruzzo. Featuring minced pork, sweet sausage, tangy parmesan cheese, and herbs, these peperoni can be savored as a hot starter or cold leftovers.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 sweet bell peppers, halved vertically
- 7 oz (200 g) sweet Italian sausage, minced
- 7 oz (200 g) ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp (5 ml) chopped basil
- ⅓ cup (30 g) bread crumbs (preferably made from day-old Italian bread)
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, to grease
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil.
- Plunge peppers into water and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove and drain peppers. Set aside.
- Mix ground Italian sausage and pork with egg, parsley, basil, bread crumbs, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.
- Season with salt and blend. If mixture is too dry, add a little milk.
- Grease a baking dish with olive oil and arrange peppers skin-side down.
- Fill each pepper with stuffing.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs on top and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for around 30 minutes, until peppers are tender and stuffing is crisp and golden.
- Remove peppers from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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