Page 117 - UMass2018_CookBook

Nana's Italian Stuffed Peppers
Canning Family, Georgetown, MA
“Joe’s grandmother is from Northern Italy, and this recipe has been passed down for generations. It is a different, delicious take on the traditional stuffed pepper (with red sauce and rice). We have prepared it using gluten-free breadcrumbs, and it is still molto bene!” — Susan Rollins Canning
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add
the beef and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the beef to the onion mixture and season to taste with parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Let cool.
3. Add the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and ricotta to the meat mixture; stir to combine.
4. Scoop the filling evenly into the pep- pers. Drizzle each pepper lightly with oil,
if desired. Arrange the peppers tightly in a baking dish, adding a very small amount of water to the bottom of the dish.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until the tops are golden, about 30 minutes more.
Ingredients
Serves 10 to 12
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained, or fresh equivalent
1 clove garlic, minced 2 pounds ground beef Dried parsley
Dried oregano
Salt
Ground black pepper
7 to 8 ounces Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
10 to 12 assorted color bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded, stems removed
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