Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers. Bell peppers filled with a garlic, onion, peas, marinara sauce, and ground pork stuffing.
If you are a fan of bell peppers you need to try this stuffed peppers recipe. It is simple, delicious, and versatile, as you can change the stuffing to suit your taste buds.
This version of my stuffed peppers recipe is different than the one in my Italian Cookbook. The cookbook version uses ground beef and white rice.
I used breadcrumbs for the stuffing in this recipe because I used too many crushed tomatoes in the preparation. I needed to thicken the stuffing and chose to use the breadcrumbs. There should be enough filling for 4 large or about 6 smaller bell peppers.
I typically make this dish as a main entree and will pair it with a side salad or green vegetable. However, I have served these stuffed peppers as an appetizer as well.
The recipe turned out well, but it was a mistake that led to this change. That is the beauty of inventing your recipe! A mistake can lead to a new recipe.
NOTE
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
How to Make Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Preparing the Stuffing:
- In a large skillet, add the olive oil and bring to a high heat. Next, add the garlic and onions and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Next, add the ground pork and cook on medium heat until browned, about 4-5 minutes, mixing occasionally to break up the pork.
- Next, add the peas, crushed tomatoes, grated cheese, salt, and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook on low for 10 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Finally, turn off the heat to the skillet, add the breadcrumbs and ½ cup shredded mozzarella, and mix well.
Preparing the Peppers:
- Start by cutting the tops off the bell peppers and remove all of the seeds. Place the peppers on a flat surface to stuff them.
- Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into each pepper. Next, spoon in enough stuffing to fill the pepper to the top. Press down slightly to ensure the pepper is completely stuffed.
- Finally, add shredded mozzarella to the top of each pepper and place into a 9-inch round baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
How to Serve Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Serve these Italian stuffed bell peppers as an appetizer with a side of marinara sauce or as a main entree paired with a side salad.
Invent Your Reicpe
For this Italian stuffed bell peppers recipe, I am using ground pork and breadcrumbs for the stuffing. You can also use ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
I typically use white rice in this stuffing. I like the combination of ground meat, peas, white rice, and marinara sauce. If you would like to make this recipe vegetarian, leave the ground meat out of the stuffing and go with the white rice or as an alternative, quinoa, instead of the breadcrumbs.
Sometimes if the tops of the peppers look good, I will dice them up after removing them and add them to the stuffing, instead of discarding them. However, for this version of the recipe I did not use them. You could also add other diced vegetables to the stuffing like zucchini, carrots, eggplant, or summer squash.
Check out my appetizer recipes for more ideas like this Italian stuffed bell peppers recipe.
The Recipe
Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves diced
- ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons to drizzle
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 ounces
- 2 tablespoons grated cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella plus more for topping
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Preparing the Stuffing:
- In a large skillet, add the olive oil and bring to a high heat. Next, add the garlic and onions and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Next, add the ground pork and cook on medium heat until browned, about 4-5 minutes, mixing occasionally to break up the pork.
- Next, add the peas, crushed tomatoes, grated cheese, salt, and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook on low for 10 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Finally, turn off the heat to the skillet, add the breadcrumbs and ½ cup shredded mozzarella, and mix well.
Preparing the Peppers:
- Start by cutting the tops off the bell peppers and remove all of the seeds. Place the peppers on a flat surface to stuff them.
- Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into each pepper. Next, spoon in enough stuffing to fill the pepper to the top. Press down slightly to ensure the pepper is completely stuffed.
- Finally, add shredded mozzarella to the top of each pepper and place into a 9-inch round baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
How to Serve Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Serve these Italian stuffed bell peppers as an appetizer with a side of marinara sauce or as a main entree paired with a side salad.
Invent Your Recipe
Nutrition
