Italian Stuffed Vegetables Zucchini Bell Peppers Or Eggplants Recipes

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS OR ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Brown ground meat with onion and garlic. Add rice, water, and sauce. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is done.
• Meanwhile, shred cheese. Wash and split peppers or zucchini. Split the peppers into thirds or quarters, depending on size. Or split zucchini in half. Remove seeds from peppers or scoop out the seeded center of zucchini, leaving about 1/2 inch all around. Arrange peppers or zucchini in a 9"x13" or 10"x15" pan, hollow side up.
• When the meat-rice mixture is cooked, turn off heat. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Stuff the peppers or zucchini. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce. Bake uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes for peppers, or 45 minutes for zucchini, until heated through and sauce is bubbly.

ITALIAN STUFFED VEGETABLES (ZUCCHINI, BELL PEPPERS, OR EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Lightly drizzle ~2 tbsp olive oil into a baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk together onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, salt, garlic, and black pepper.
• Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs.
• Mix in turkey until all is well combined.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Now take your zucchini and eggplant and carefully scrape out the seeds and some of the inner flesh, creating a pocket for the stuffing while still leaving a pretty thick shell.
• Halve and seed the bell peppers then fill all the vegetables with the turkey mixture, mounding slightly.
• Arrange stuffed vegetables in the baking dish, pour marinara sauce over everything and sprinkle with some more of the grated Romano (I like to use freshly grated Parmesan).
• Bake uncovered about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Place peppers in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes to soften, drain thoroughly set aside.
• Pour oil in large skillet, stir in eggplant and garlic
• Cook until eggplant is soft, approximately 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Stir bread crumbs into eggplant mixture; toss until bread crumbs are moistened.
• Stir in basil, parmesan cheese,pepper, goat cheese, parsley and pine nuts.
• Fill softened peppers with filling.
• Place peppers in oiled 9 x 13 pan. Pour about 1 cup water into pan.
• Bake in oven covered for about 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Cover each pepper with marinara sauce.
• Return to oven for another 10 minutes.

PEPERONI RIPIENI ( ITALIAN STUFFED BELL PEPPERS WITH EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• Salt out eggplants by adding salt and allow to stand 10 minutes until they sweat.
• Wash eggplants again to ensure the bitterness is removed.
• Heat enough olive oil in a fry pan and saute the eggplants until they become soft. Sauteing can be done in batches.
• Remove eggplants to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.
• Add egg, basil, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste, and mix.
• In the meantime, preheat oven to 200°C.
• Cut off tops of green peppers and remove seeds.
• Arrange bell peppers in a casserole dish with the open part showing.
• Distribute the eggplant stuffing mix to the bell peppers.
• Top each pepper with mozzarella cheese.
• Spray Pam onto the dish and add the water.
• Cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender.