Three-Cheese Stuffed Red and Yellow Peppers

By chris5863

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups lightly packed fresh bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mixed giardiniera (find this near the pickles at the grocery store)
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded asiago
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 2 large yellow bell peppers
• 1 (14. 5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, crushed with a potato masher or coarsely chopped

Details

Adapted from denverpost.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs, parsley and minced garlic, and saute, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are pale golden and starting to crisp. Transfer the bread crumbs to a large bowl. Add the giardiniera, capers, cheeses, salt, pepper and cayenne. Mix everything together with a large wooden spoon. Set the stuffing aside while you prepare the peppers.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, cutting right through the stems so that each pepper half has a decorative stem end. With a paring knife, remove the seeds and the white, pithy ribs. Spoon the filling into the hollowed-out pepper halves. Fill them generously but don’t overstuff them. Reserve any leftover stuffing for sprinkling over the peppers before baking.

Coat the bottom of a baking dish that is just large enough to hold the peppers snugly with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour about 3/4 of the tomatoes into the dish and spread them out with a spatula. Arrange the peppers on top of the tomatoes. Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the tops of the peppers. Sprinkle with any remaining bread crumbs, and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the peppers.

Bake the peppers for about 1 hour or slightly longer, until the tops are nicely browned and the peppers themselves are just tender. Turn off the oven and let the peppers sit inside for another 15 minutes to 30 minutes, until they are completely tender. Serve.