u003cstrongu003eDo you have to boil peppers before stuffing them?u003c/strongu003e

Peppers do not need to be boiled or cooked before stuffing them. However, for this recipe, I like roasting them beforehand in the oven for a few minutes with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper just to add an extra layer of flavor.

u003cstrongu003eHow do you make stuffed Italian peppers?u003c/strongu003e

Stuffed Italian peppers are made by filling bell peppers with layers of meaty tomato sauce, creamy pesto ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella. Then everything is baked together in the oven until it's warmed through and bubbly.

u003cliu003eu003cstrongu003eWhat sauce goes on stuffed peppers?u003c/strongu003eu003c/liu003e

Traditionally stuffed peppers are made with a tomato sauce. In this recipe, we stick with that classic spaghetti sauce along with ground beef, garlic and herbs, pesto ricotta, and mozzarella cheese.

Italian Stuffed Peppers - NO RICE!

Name: Italian Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided; 1 yellow onion, diced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1 lb. ground beef; 24 oz. spaghetti sauce; 8 oz. Lifeway Farmer cheese (or ricotta cheese); 1/4 cup basil pesto; 4-6 bell peppers, halved lengthwise with the ribs and seeds removed; 8 oz. shredded mozzarella; Kosher salt; fresh cracked pepper; grated Parmesan; fresh chopped parsley

Italian Stuffed Peppers

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5 from 1 review

These Italian stuffed peppers have all your favorite flavors of lasagna but without the pasta! Layers of meaty marinara sauce, creamy pesto cheese, and shredded mozzarella are nestled inside a tender bell pepper and cooked until hot and bubbly. In under an hour you can have these delicious stuffed peppers on the dinner table!

Author: Kylie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stove Top + Oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
24 oz. spaghetti sauce
8 oz. Lifeway Farmer cheese (or ricotta cheese)
1/4 cup basil pesto
4–6 bell peppers, halved lengthwise with the ribs and seeds removed
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Garnish

grated Parmesan
fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice peppers in half lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds.
Place them cut side up in a large baking dish.
Brush with 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add onion along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add garlic and Italian seasoning along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Add ground beef to the pan and brown until cooked through, crumbling it with a spatula as it cooks.
Stir in spaghetti sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine farmer cheese (or ricotta) and pesto.
Spoon meat sauce into the cavities of each pepper, dividing it evenly between the peppers.
Top meat sauce with pesto cheese mixture, dividing it evenly between the peppers.
Sprinkle mozzarella on top, dividing it evenly between the peppers.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is warmed through and the peppers are tender-crisp.
Let sit for about 5 minutes.
Garnish with grated Parmesan and parsley and enjoy!

large saute pan

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Notes

Salt moderately throughout the cooking process! Season to taste frequently while your making these peppers. It will do a lot to boost the overall flavor of this stuffed pepper recipe since it contains such simple ingredients.
You may not use all the filling depending on what size your peppers are. If they’re smaller peppers, you may have some filling leftover. You can either pile it on the peppers or serve it with some leftover pasta for another simple meal.