Stuffed Red Peppers a la Haya
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Author Notes: My cooking mentor, Haya, would make a different version of this classic recipe every time she prepared it. She used long grain rice, but I prefer using Arborio ever since I tasted a version prepared by a good friend who owns an Italian restaurant. But, I credit Haya with teaching me how to make this crowd pleaser. Leftovers freeze well, and it is always a pleasant reminder of an afternoon's labor to pull out a few frozen servings of this dish on a cold winter's night - soon to be a reality in my corner of the world. - Bevi
Serves 4-6
- 6 or more whole red peppers
- For the Stuffing
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup Arborio rice, uncooked
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 plus cup parmesan cheese
- 6 mini buffalo mozzarella balls, packed in herbed olive oil; OR 6 chunks of mozzarella, formed into 1 inch balls
- Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
- For the Tomato Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup stock or water
- several sprigs thyme, and other herbs of choice
- 1 or 2 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Start the tomato sauce. Pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot over medium flame. Add the onions, then the garlic, then the carrots, and then the celery and saute until the onion is translucent.
- Add the tomato paste and stir in fully to blend. Then, add the diced tomatoes, and again stir until blended. Then, add the wine and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the stock or water. Add fresh herbs of your choice, and cook the sauce over low heat. After a while, add the sugar. Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the stuffing for the red bell peppers.
- Begin the stuffing. Place all the stuffing ingredients (note: about 3/4 cup parmesan) EXCEPT the mozzarella balls into a glass bowl, and carefully mix the ingredients so they are well blended.
- Slice the tops off the peppers, and remove all seeds. Place the stuffing in the peppers, but make a hole in the stuffing you have put in the pepper with your finger so you can insert a mozzarella ball in the center of the pepper as you stuff it.
- If the tomato sauce looks like it is somewhat firm and reduced, place the stuffed peppers in the Dutch oven. You may fit them in snugly. Liberally spoon some tomato sauce on and over each stuffed pepper.
- Bring to a low boil, cover, and then place the Dutch oven into the oven to bake for at least an hour. Baste the peppers continuously so the arborio rice absorbs liquid.
- Test for doneness by taking a tiny taste of rice in one pepper. If the rice is done, place a little parmesan cheese over each pepper, and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
- Serve by slicing each pepper in half, topped with some sauce. Note: One pepper is a very hearty serving.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Red Pepper Recipe
Tags: Entrees, savory, serves a crowd
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almost 2 years ago Bevi
Hi Lida! Let the sauce reduce and become firmer, so it is not watery. Not thick like a smoothie, but slightly thicker than jarred sauce.
almost 2 years ago Lida
ahh, yes. got it, and will do! thanks bev.
almost 2 years ago Lida
auntie bev! so first of all--- you've converted me to food52. i love it here.
second-- can you please explain the direction that calls for one to wait for the sauce to be "firm and emulsified?" i want to try this recipe but know that i will fret over the readiness of my sauce unless i ask for further details...i've been a strictly semi-homemade cook when it comes to tomato sauce, and think it's due time i amend that.
xoxo