Ricotta Stuffed Bell Peppers (Printable)
Roasted bell peppers filled with creamy herbed ricotta and spinach for a satisfying vegetarian dish.
# What You’ll 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 Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush a large baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and membranes. Arrange cut-side up in the prepared baking dish.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Fold in the cooled spinach mixture until evenly distributed.
05 - Spoon the ricotta filling evenly among the pepper halves. 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 10 more minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbly and golden. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The filling comes together in one bowl with no fancy techniques, just a fork and five minutes of stirring.
- Those jewel toned pepper halves look stunning on a plate yet require zero artistic skill to pull off.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, making it a rare vegetarian main that works as lunch without ceremony.
02 -
- Skipping the rest period means molten filling cascading onto the plate and burning someones chin, which I learned at a dinner party I would rather forget.
- Draining the ricotta on paper towels for ten minutes before mixing is the single step that takes this from soupy to silky.
03 -
- Choose peppers with flat bottoms so they sit upright without wobbling and spilling filling everywhere in the oven.
- Let the spinach mixture cool completely before folding it into the ricotta or the egg will start to cook and leave you with weird lumps.