Stuffed Red Peppers / Peperoni Rossi Ripieni

Name: Stuffed Red Peppers / Peperoni Rossi Ripieni
Ingredients: 10 medium red bell peppers; 1/2 cup long-grain rice; 1 1/2 cups water; 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 medium zucchini, diced; 1 small onion, peeled and diced; 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts; 2 large egg whites; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese; INGREDIENTS

SERVES 10

Preparing roasted peppers is easy. Use an outdoor grill, the broiler unit of an oven, or a charring grate placed over a stovetop burner. These filled red peppers make a great buffet dish to go with any meat. Put them together early in the morning and bake just before serving. Make this dish when red peppers are in season; use a combination of red and yellow peppers also.

Ingredients

10 medium red bell peppers
1/2 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 small onion, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
INGREDIENTS

Directions

Wash and dry the peppers. Place on a piece of foil on top of a broiler pan. Broil the peppers, turning them occasionally, until blackened all over.
Carefully transfer the peppers to a brown paper bag. Fold over the top, and let the peppers steam for 20 minutes.
Carefully remove the core, blackened skin, and seeds of the peppers; try to keep the peppers in one piece. Dry the peppers with paper towels and set aside.
In a saucepan, boil the rice in the water until cooked, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the rice well and place in a bowl.
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, add the zucchini and onion, and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese, and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Grease a 14- x 9-inch baking pan with the remaining olive oil. Lay each pepper out flat and spread with 1/4 cup of the filling. Roll the peppers up like a jelly roll. Arrange the peppers in the baking pan seam side down. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes, or until the peppers are hot. Remove the foil, bake an additional 5 minutes, then serve warm.