Mondays feel like a chance to reset, refresh and savor food that will set the tone for the new week. I’m Michele Sessa and I’m so incredibly proud to partner with Appetito magazine for my series, “Mondays with Michele”
Stuffed peppers were a dish we often had on Mondays growing up, so I thought they were perfect for another edition of Mondays with Michele.
We would always have tomato sauce left over and maybe pork ribs, a bit of sausage and meatballs from our Sunday family dinner to use up and make another meal out of on Monday.
My grandmother and mom would smash up some of the meatballs into the sauce and add rice to it to make the stuffing. It was a great way to use up our leftovers as we never wasted anything.
We would stuff all different kinds of peppers, depending on what we had from the garden or store. Most of the time, some cubanelle, long hots or traditional green peppers would be the stars.
Great food memories always stay in our hearts, and this comforting classic dish is one that has stayed with me. My recipe is a bit different from my mom’s, but its rustic style still shines through.
It’s an easy make- ahead dinner too and tastes just as delicious the next day!
Italian Stuffed Peppers
4
servings30
minutes25
minutesIngredients
5-6 5-6 mixed bell peppers, seeded and membranes removed
1/2 cup 1/2 extra virgin olive oil
1 1 yellow onion, chopped
1 1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup 1/4 chopped parsley
1 tbsp. 1 each chopped fresh rosemary and oregano
1 pound 1 ground beef or turkey
1 cup 1 cooled cooked rice of choice
3 cups 3 tomato passata divided
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1-1/2 cups 1-1/2 shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup 1/2 fresh chopped basil for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Pre-bake the cleaned peppers until soft (15-20 minutes).
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the onion, celery, garlic, and herbs for 8 minutes.
- Add the meat, seasoning with salt and pepper until browned.
- Add 2 cups of tomato passata, cooked rice and Parmesan to the pan.
- Mix well.
- Fill the pre-baked peppers, spooning the rest of the passata around them.
- Top them with the mozzarella and sprinkle with more grated cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes (broil for 1-2 minutes, if desired, for a brown and bubbly top).
- Add fresh chopped basil and serve.
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