Pasta Salad Stuffed Peppers Recipes

SALAD-STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Place a large pot filled halfway with water over high heat and season generously with salt. Halve the lemon, then juice it and set aside 1 tablespoon juice. Add the lemon halves and the remaining lemon juice to the water. Crush 3 of the garlic cloves and add to the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Prepare the peppers by slicing off just enough of the tops to reveal the seeds. Remove and discard the seed pockets and stems. Trim the bottom of the peppers as needed so they stand up on their own. Finely chop the pepper tops and add to a large bowl.
• Gently lower the pepper boats into the boiling water until fully submerged. Cook until just crisp tender, 4 to 6 minutes. The peppers should hold their shape and stand up straight. Once cooked, place the peppers in the ice bath to prevent further cooking, about 1 minute. Drain the peppers upside-down on a paper towel-lined plate to catch any water that remains inside.
• Meanwhile, place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and chorizo and cook until the chorizo is just fragrant and the oil has a red hue, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to add the chorizo to the bowl with the chopped peppers. Add 2 teaspoons of the hot oil from the skillet to the bowl, reserving the rest. The chorizo will crisp as it cools.
• Place the skillet with the reserved oil over medium heat. Add the bread to the skillet in an even layer. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the bread is browned and toasted, about 5 minutes. Finely chop the remaining garlic clove. When the bread is nearly toasted, add the garlic to the skillet and toss until it is distributed through the toasted bread. Set aside.
• Add the kale, vinegar and the reserved 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the bowl. Massage until the kale is slightly softened and coated. Add the dates, olives, parsley and toasted bread and gently toss to combine.
• Place the peppers upright on a serving platter. Mound the salad into each pepper. Generously grate the cheese over the salad. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds and serve immediately.

PASTA STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water, then set aside.
• Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the pepper flesh from the tops and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can. Place the peppers upright in a baking dish just large enough to accommodate them.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and diced pepper tops. Cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Italian sausage, crumbling it as you go, and stir until it is cooked and nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and black pepper, then remove the skillet from the heat. Fold in the ricotta, half of the shredded mozzarella and the reserved pasta. Stir until well combined. Divide the mixture among the prepared peppers. Top the peppers with the remaining mozzarella and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is bubbly, another 15 minutes.
• Serve garnished with fresh basil.