Peperoni Ripieni (Italian Stuffed Peppers)

About This Recipe

Peperoni ripieni are a staple of Italian home cooking, especially in central and southern Italy, where sweet bell peppers are hollowed out and packed with a rice or breadcrumb filling studded with ground meat, Parmesan, and herbs, then baked until the peppers soften and the filling turns golden on top. The technique hinges on partially cooking the rice before stuffing, since the peppers alone won't cook it through in the oven. A splash of tomato sauce poured around the peppers as they bake keeps everything moist and gives you a light sauce to spoon over at the table.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4bell peppers(tops cut off, seeded)
• 1 cupArborio rice(parboiled 10 minutes)
• 300 gground beef
• 1small onion(finely chopped)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 0.5 cupParmesan(grated)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
• 1egg
• 400 gcanned crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat and prep peppers

   Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds, standing them upright in a baking dish.

2. 2

   Cook the filling base

   Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté onion 5 minutes, add garlic for 1 minute, then brown the ground beef, breaking it up, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Mix the stuffing

   Combine cooked beef mixture with parboiled rice, Parmesan, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper.

4. 4

   Stuff the peppers

   Fill each pepper generously with the mixture, pressing down gently to pack it in.

5. 5

   Add sauce and bake

   Pour crushed tomatoes around the peppers in the dish. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 more minutes until peppers are tender and tops are golden.

   Baste peppers with the tomato sauce halfway through for extra moisture.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let rest 5 minutes, then serve each pepper with the tomato sauce spooned over the top.

Variations

• •

  Make it vegetarian by swapping ground beef for lentils or crumbled tofu.

• •

  Use ground turkey or Italian sausage instead of beef for a different flavor profile.

• •

  Add pine nuts and raisins to the filling for a Sicilian-influenced sweet-savory twist.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat in a covered dish at 180°C until warmed through, adding a splash of water or extra tomato sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions