Polish Stuffed Peppers - Italian Style

Photo: Patricia Stagich

Ingredients

cup Arborio rice

8 cubanelle or Italian Frying Peppers

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound ground beef (or a mixture of beef and pork)

1 large egg

cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)

3 cups tomato sauce (see below)

1 cup 4- cheese Italian blend shredded cheese

Preparation

Cook the Arborio rice in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender but firm, about 12 minutes. Drain and cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the stems from the peppers and scrape out the seeds and the membranes with a spoon. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring until slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Scrape onion into a mixing bowl, add the ground meat, egg, grated cheese, parsley, oregano and cooked rice, and stir together until evenly blended.

Divide the filling among the peppers using about 1/2 cup to fill each pepper loosely. Rub the outside of the peppers lightly with olive oil and place them in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Roast the peppers, turning once or twice with tongs, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 20 minutes.

Tomato Sauce: In a food processor, mix a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 Tbsp. olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pulse just to break up the tomatoes. Pour over peppers.

Cover with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through; 30-40 minutes. Last ten minutes of cooking time, remove foil and sprinkle with shredded cheese, and a sprinkling of oregano.