Ricotta Stuffed Bell Peppers (Printable Format)
Roasted bell peppers filled with creamy herbed ricotta and spinach for a comforting Italian-inspired dish.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), halved and seeded
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
→ Cheese Mixture
05 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried basil)
09 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
10 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
11 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ Topping
12 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush a large baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and membranes. Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in the prepared baking dish.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Fold in the cooled spinach mixture until evenly incorporated.
05 - Spoon the ricotta filling evenly among the pepper halves, mounding it gently. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over each stuffed pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
06 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
07 - Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbly and golden on top.
08 - Remove from the oven and let the stuffed peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These peppers look like you spent all afternoon on them, but the filling comes together in about ten minutes flat.
- The ricotta stays creamy and light inside the roasted pepper, nothing heavy or overly dense like some stuffed vegetables can get.
02 -
- Let the spinach mixture cool before adding it to the ricotta bowl or the egg will create weird lumps instead of a smooth filling.
- Covering with foil for the first half of baking is not optional because uncovered peppers dry out and shrivel before the interior gets hot enough.
03 -
- Choose peppers with relatively even halves because lopsided ones roll sideways and dump their filling into the dish.
- Draining the ricotta in a fine mesh strainer for ten minutes before mixing gives you a thicker filling that holds its shape beautifully.