Italian Stuffed Peppers
Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers from the Oven
RICE – TYPICALLY ITALIAN?
Italy is the land of pizza and pasta. But Italy is also Europe’s largest rice producer. Rice has been grown in Italy since the 15th century. Accordingly, there are many rice recipes in Italian cuisine—most notably the creamy risotto. With this recipe for vegetarian stuffed peppers, you won’t get “risotto arm.” All the more reason to try our vegetarian stuffed peppers from the oven.
Ingredients
6 bell peppers in three colors
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 tsp ORO di Parma Pesto Verde
1 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp mint
1 can ORO di Parma cherry tomatoes
1 shallot
4 tbsp ORO di Parma tomato paste (3x concentrated)
1.5 L water
1 tsp basil
4 garlic cloves
1 small zucchini
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes
Step 1 : The Preparation
Cook the long-grain rice in a pot as usual. Meanwhile, wash the vegetables, parsley, and mint. Gently pat the herbs dry with a paper towel and chop them finely. Use a sharp knife to remove the stems from the bell peppers and the seeds inside. Cut off the top ring-shaped section to use as a lid. Now peel and finely dice the shallot. Finally, dice the zucchini.
Step 2 : The bell pepper filling with pine nuts
Mix the cooked rice with the cherry tomatoes, pesto verde, diced zucchini, shallots, and pine nuts. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Add the chopped parsley and mint. Once you’ve mixed the rice filling well, you can stuff the bell peppers with it. Then place the top (stem end) back on the peppers.
Tip
PINE NUTS IN ITALIAN CUISINE
With their nutty, sweet flavor, pine nuts are an indispensable ingredient in Italian cuisine. The reason they are relatively expensive is that the nuts are harvested by hand from wild pine trees.
Step 3 : Cooking the Bell Peppers
Using a whisk, whisk together the water, tomato paste, remaining mint, and dried basil, then press in the garlic. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour the tomato mixture into an ovenproof dish and place the stuffed peppers inside. Now all you have to do is place the dish in the preheated oven and bake at 200°C (convection 180°C).
Step 4 : The Finale
After about 30–40 minutes, the peppers are ready. Carefully remove them from the pan and arrange them on a plate. And now? Enjoy! Buon appetito!
Tip
TOMATO BROTH AS A STARTER
This flavorful tomato broth makes a great soup to serve as a starter. So if you want to make a two-course meal, you don't need to go to any extra trouble.
Ingredients
6 bell peppers in three colors
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 tsp ORO di Parma Pesto Verde
1 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp mint
1 can ORO di Parma cherry tomatoes
1 shallot
4 tbsp ORO di Parma tomato paste (3x concentrated)
1.5 L water
1 tsp basil
4 garlic cloves
1 small zucchini
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes
