Stuffed peppers is a classic FG recipe. It was one of the first meals I learned how to cook during my sophomore year at USC - thanks to my big sister! I love stuffed peppers because they can take on so many different flavors ... like Mediterranean, Italian, or Mexican. This is my take on Italian-infused stuffed peppers!
Ingredients
Stuffed peppers
6 peppers, red, yellow or orange; tops removed and deseeded
1 tbsp olive oil
500g ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 garlic cloves
1 zucchini chopped
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp thyme
1 beef stock, crumbled
1 can cherry tomatoes (or canned chopped tomatoes)
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup bulgur wheat (or rice), cooked (follow directions on packaging)
¼ cup parmesan cheese + extra for topping
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Tomato passata
2 cans cherry tomatoes in sauce (or chopped tomatoes)
2 garlic cloves
½ tbsp thyme
½ tbsp oregano
½ tbsp basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Tomato passata
Heat ½ tbsp olive oil over medium high heat in a medium skillet. Add cherry/chopped tomatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano, and basil and combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to break down and the sauce thickens.
Stuffed peppers
Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F.
Place cut peppers in a baking dish
Slice off small portions of the bottom of the peppers to create a flat surface and set aside.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, break it up, and cook until it begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the beef!
Once the meat starts to brown, add onions, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 5-6 minutes until onions start to soften.
Stir in spices, crumbled beef stock, garlic, and zucchini.
Continue to cook until the meat browns and the veggies soften, another 3-5 minutes.
Once the meat has browned, add the cherry/chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Add bulgur wheat and parmesan to the mixture and combine well.
Scoop mixture into peppers, you will likely have some stuffing leftover (depending on the size of the peppers), which you can serve on the side.
Place peppers flat on the baking tray or on their sides, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, top each pepper with tomato passata, and Parmesan cheese.
Return peppers to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes. I also broiled for 2-3 minutes at the same temperature! Serve with fresh parsley.
© Fat Gabs original recipe.
Comments