Name: Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 6 small red bell peppers; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped; 3 large cloves of garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary; 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes); 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (or canned chopped tomatoes, see notes); 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 pound of ground pork (or beef, see notes); 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (see notes for gluten-free options); 1/2 cup good quality finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Description

Sweet, tender red bell peppers filled with a highly-seasoned pork (or beef), rosemary, and parmesan stuffing. Stuffed peppers never tasted so good! Get ready for an instant family favorite. (Easily made gluten-free—see notes)

Adapted from a recipe in the Guardian in a post entitled "Nigel Slater's 10 Most Popular Recipes."

Ingredients

Units Scale

6 small red bell peppers
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (or canned chopped tomatoes, see notes)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound of ground pork (or beef, see notes)
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (see notes for gluten-free options)
1/2 cup good quality finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and bring a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil.
Slice each pepper in half lengthwise (through the stem), and carefully cut out the membranes and remove the seeds.
Drop pepper halves into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes so they soften but still hold their shape. Drain them in a colander, cut-side-down, and leave them to cool while you prepare the filling.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion on medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, until translucent (do not brown).
Add the garlic, rosemary and Aleppo (or red pepper flakes). Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften into a sauce. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from heat. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl and add the raw ground pork, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Mix thoroughly but gently.
Arrange halved peppers, cut side up, in a large baking dish (or two) and season the inside of each pepper with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Scoop about 1/3 cup of pork stuffing into each pepper half, patting it down gently to fill the pepper. Brush the remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil over the tops and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
Bake peppers for 35 minutes, until hot and sizzling. Serve hot with extra parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Notes

Canned chopped tomatoes: You can substitute the chopped fresh tomatoes for canned diced tomatoes. Use one 14.5-ounce can, drained. For the best consistency in the filling, transfer the drained tomatoes to a cutting board and chop them finely before adding them.
Ground Pork Substitute: You can substitute the ground pork with an equal amount of ground beef. For the juiciest results, be sure to use ground beef with some fat, such as 80/20.
Gluten-Free Option: To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the 3/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs with an equal amount of cooked rice or quinoa.
Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for a the advice of a professional nutritionist.

Prep Time: 35
Cook Time: 35
Category: Main Dish, Dinner
Method: Oven
Cuisine: British