Four Cheese Arborio Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

"I love red bell peppers! They even become better when they are cooked; roasted, baked, fried, pureed. I'll take 'em any way you make 'em. One day when I came across some at a local market on sale for 99 cents per pound instead of their usual $3.99 per pound, I had to buy some for dinner that night. And this is what I was inspired to come up with. Please, please use RED bell peppers... the flavor will not be the same with green ones. This is a good main dish (esp. for Lent) or as a side dish."
 
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photo by andylynn photo by andylynn
photo by andylynn
Ready In:
1hr 40mins
Ingredients:
21
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • For the sauce: In a large saucepan, over low heat, sweat onions and garlic in the extra-vigin olive oil until tender (about 5 min) but with no color. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the tablespoon of sugar if desired to cut the acidity or tartness of the sauce. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat.
  • For the filling: While the sauce is simmering, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Add arborio rice. Return to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes. Rice should be al dente. Transfer rice to a large bowl and allow to cool.
  • When the rice is cool, add the cheeses, garlic powder, egg, salt, and black pepper. Combine well.
  • Cut red bell peppers in half, from top to bottom. Remove seeds and white membranes. Place pepper halves, cut side down, on a large microwave safe plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 4 minutes just to slightly soften the peppers
  • Fill the pepper halves with about 1/2 cup filling. There should be enough for all 8 halves, don't be afraid to mound the mixture.
  • Place peppers in a 9"x13"x2" baking dish. Add the sauce around the peppers, just until the sauce comes half way up the sides of the peppers, not to cover.
  • Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 40 min or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden brown.
  • Spoon sauce over the peppers and garnish with chopped fresh parsley to serve.
  • Note: Any additional sauce left may be served on the side.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in a small village at the foot of the Laurel Mountains with my husband, 16yr old son, and our kitty, Henrietta. I have been cooking since about the age of 8 when I surprised my mom with scrambled eggs and toast on Mother's Day I guess I fell in love with food and cooking because my mom loves to cook also. (She should, she had to cook for her family of 9 children, me being the baby.) She was always making something different and "Homemade" was what everything was. I was a homemade bread (not Wonder Bread) kid. My knowledge of cooking comes from 18 years of cooking in restaurants and from my passion for reading cookbooks. I find there is so much more to get out of a cookbook than just a recipe. And now I can add the web and Recipezaar to my resources.
 
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