Australian Lamb and Rosemary Stuffed Peppers

About This Recipe

Lamb is one of Australia's most iconic proteins, and this stuffed pepper dish leans into that with a filling built from ground lamb seasoned generously with rosemary and garlic, echoing the classic Australian pairing of roast lamb with rosemary found at Sunday dinners across the country. Toasted pine nuts and a small amount of rice round out the filling, adding texture and helping it hold together once baked. Browning the lamb well before it goes into the peppers is important, since ground lamb can release a fair amount of fat as it cooks, and draining some of that off keeps the finished filling from becoming greasy inside the pepper. Fresh rosemary, chopped finely rather than left in large sprigs, distributes its piney, aromatic flavor evenly through the meat rather than concentrating in just a few bites. Baked until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, these stuffed peppers bring a distinctly Australian, Mediterranean-leaning flavor profile to a format found in home kitchens worldwide, finished with a simple tomato sauce that keeps the peppers moist as they bake.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4bell peppers(tops cut, cored)
• 500 gground lamb
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1.5 cupscooked rice
• 0.25 cuppine nuts(toasted)
• 2 tbspfresh rosemary(finely chopped)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 2 cupscanned crushed tomatoes
• 0.5 cupcrumbled feta(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the peppers

   Blanch pepper halves or whole cored peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes to soften slightly. Drain and set in a baking dish.

2. 2

   Cook the lamb filling

   Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, add garlic and cook 1 minute, then add ground lamb and brown, breaking it up, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.

3. 3

   Season the filling

   Stir in rice, pine nuts, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, mixing until evenly combined.

   Chop the rosemary finely rather than leaving it in large pieces -- fine pieces distribute its strong, piney flavor evenly instead of concentrating in a few overwhelming bites.

4. 4

   Make the sauce

   Mix crushed tomatoes with remaining salt and pour around the peppers in the baking dish.

5. 5

   Stuff and bake

   Pack the lamb filling into each pepper, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Finish

   Uncover, top with feta if using, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the peppers are tender and lightly golden.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve hot, spooning the tomato sauce over each pepper.

Variations

• •

  Beef version: substitute ground beef for lamb if you prefer a milder flavor.

• •

  Add currants: a small handful of currants stirred into the filling adds a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the rosemary and lamb.

• •

  Mint yogurt sauce: serve with a side of mint yogurt sauce instead of feta for a lighter, tangier finish.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or in the microwave for individual portions.

Frequently Asked Questions