Margherita Pepperoni Spinach And Rice Stuffed Peppers Recipes

THE BEST STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• If your peppers don't sit upright on your cutting board, trim about 1/8-inch off the bottoms to even them out so they can stand without falling over. Cut the top off each pepper about 1/2-inch down. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the tops. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membranes as you can. Place the peppers in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power for 12 minutes. Carefully uncover and let them sit until ready to assemble.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the beef in an even layer and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the pan until the meat is lightly browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the reserved chopped peppers, onions, garlic, thyme, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until falling apart and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until brick red colored, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until the mixture is reduced, very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Transfer to the bowl with the beef. Stir in the rice until completely combined. (The mixture will be wet.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Place the peppers cut-side up in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon the filling into the peppers, gently pressing it in with the back of a spoon. Be careful not to overstuff and split the sides of the peppers. Bake for 15 minutes. Then top with the cheese and continue baking until the filling is heated through and the cheese is browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH BEEF, RICE, SPINACH AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat a griddle or grill pan. Seed chile peppers. Drizzle peppers with a little oil and grill over medium high to high heat 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until tender. Transfer peppers to a broiler pan or baking sheet, hollow side up.
• Place a small skillet on the stove top and add 1 tablespoon, 1 turn of the pan, olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Heat over medium flame and add spinach in bunches until it is all wilted and is giving off liquid. Season greens with salt and pepper. Remove spinach and drain. Set aside.
• Preheat broiler to high.
• Defrost beef and rice in microwave oven. Combine 1/2 cup broth and defrosted rice in the skillet you cooked the spinach in and reheat over medium flame. Add 1 cup tomato sauce and heat through.
• Pile spinach and hot beef and tomato rice into peppers, mounding them up in the center of each pepper. Top liberally with grated cheese and melt cheese under broiler 3 to 5 minutes, then serve.

SPINACH AND RED PEPPER-STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Mix together the spinach, peppers, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Butterfly the chicken: Holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice a breast through the middle, stopping about 1/2-inch short of the other side. Open the breast up like a book and flatten it with your palm. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to a little less than 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining breasts.
• Divide the spinach mixture into four portions and place a portion in the center of each breast. Roll the breasts tightly around the filling and secure with kitchen twine. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roll-ups and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the filling registers 160 degrees F, another 6 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer the roll-ups to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat (be careful, the handle will be very hot). Add the shallots and cook until softened, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth; boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut away the twine and slice the chicken into 1-inch rounds. Serve with the pan sauce and sprinkle with parsley.

RICE-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, chopped green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. , Stir in rice; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. , Remove tops and seeds from the peppers; cut in half widthwise. Place in a large pan of boiling water; boil for 4 minutes. , Drain peppers and stuff with meat mixture. Place remaining meat mixture in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish; top with stuffed peppers, pressing down gently. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. In a saucepan, heat sauce ingredients until cheese is melted. Serve over peppers.

BROWN RICE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut off the top 1/3 inch of each pepper, remove and discard the seeds. If needed, cut a small amount of the bottom off each pepper so that they sit flat. Season the insides evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Nestle the peppers inside an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat another minute. Add the plant-based meat and use the back of a wooden spoon to break apart the meat into small pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, fennel, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt and cook another 4 minutes or until fragrant and the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the rice, tomatoes, spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, basil and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilts and the cheese is melted. Divide the mixture among the peppers. Top with the Provolone piccante. Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Bake the peppers for 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and peppers are soft but not falling apart. Serve hot.

SAUTEED SPINACH AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add red pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add onion and garlic; cook 1-1/2 minutes longer or until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is just wilted.

ROASTED PEPPERS WITH SPAGHETTI STUFFING

Steps:

• Place bell peppers directly over the flame of a gas-stove burner and roast, turning with tongs, until blackened all over. (Or roast peppers under the broiler.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 15 minutes. Peel off skins, slice off tops, and remove ribs and seeds.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than instructed on package. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high. Swirl in oil to coat, then add anchovies, breaking them up with the back of a spoon until dissolved. Add onion and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, just until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until almost evaporated. Add pasta and toss to coat.
• Generously season cavity of each pepper with salt, then fill with a heaping 1/2 cup pasta mixture, twirling pasta with a fork to fit snugly. Place peppers side by side in a 2-quart oval baking dish. Bake until pasta starts to brown in a few spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, topped with oregano.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPINACH, PEAS, AND HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest and juice, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach; season generously and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Add peas; cook 1 minute more. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Add pasta, peas, and 3/4 cup ricotta mixture to skillet.
• Reduce heat to low and stir, adding enough reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce; season to taste. To serve, dollop pasta with remaining ricotta mixture, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with basil leaves.