Stuffed Peppers with Sausage and Risotto

By davidv

This recipe calls for marinara sauce--which we just made on Leap Day! Thus, I just pulled a container of sauce out of my freezer and made this recipe.

Tip: You can freeze the already-stuffed peppers individually for times when you may only need one or two portions.

Ingredients

• 7 medium to large bell peppers (green, yellow, or a mix), stems, seeds, and white veins removed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups Arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 5 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place 4 cups of marinara in the bottom of a large baking dish and set it aside.

Trim the bottoms of the peppers so they stand evenly upright. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, onion, and garlic and crumble the sausage into small pieces with a spoon. Sauté until the sausage is no longer pink.

Add the rice, chicken stock, and the Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Do not let the rice stick.

Add 1 cup of the marinara sauce and continue to cook for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the Parmesan, mozzarella, butter, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers and place them in a baking dish with the marinara. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and continue to bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.