Mediterranean · Main · Easy
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Stuffed Bell Peppers, in 5 ideas
- Any color works, red is sweetest. Green peppers are slightly bitter, red and yellow are sweet. Use what looks best at the store.
- Add meat if you want. Browned ground lamb or turkey mixed into the filling makes it heartier.
- Stand them up snugly. Peppers that tip over spill. Pack them tight in the dish or crumple foil around the bases.
- Quinoa swaps in perfectly. Same amount, more protein, slightly nuttier flavor.
- Leftovers are lunch. One pepper reheated in the oven is a perfect next-day meal.
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to make it
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400F. Cut the tops off the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Rub the outsides with olive oil and set them upright in a baking dish.
- Bake the empty peppers 15 minutes. This head start keeps them from turning to mush under the filling.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Soften the onion 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in the rice, drained tomatoes, oregano, half the feta, and parsley. Season boldly with salt and pepper. The pepper itself is mild, so the filling carries the flavor.
- Spoon the filling into the peppers, mounding it generously. Top with the remaining feta and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake 25 minutes until the peppers are tender and the tops are browned and caramelized at the edges.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Pre-bake the shells. Raw peppers filled and baked straight through go from crunchy to collapsed with no happy middle. Fifteen minutes empty first gives you silky, intact peppers.