Italian Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 12 large bell peppers, any color (red, orange and yellow varieties are best)
• 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp butter, divided
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 medium red potatoes
• ½ large yellow squash
• ½ large zucchini
• 1 pound pastured Italian pork sausage (casings removed if links)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 24 ounces homemade or high quality store-bought marinara
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella (not shredded)
• Optional: Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

To boil the peppers:
1. Fill 2 large stock pots (or a stock pot and a Dutch Oven) about 2/3 full with water and place over high heat. While waiting for the water to come to a boil, remove the top of each pepper (cap with stem) by carefully cutting the pepper horizontally about ½” from the top. Set aside the pepper caps. Use clean hands to remove the white membrane and seeds from the inside of each pepper; discard.
2. Once the water is boiling, gently add all the hollowed peppers to the pot. Use metal tongs to occasionally turn the peppers so that they cook evenly. Boil about 5 minutes, then use tongs to remove peppers from water and place upside down on a clean kitchen towel to cool and dry.
To make the Italian stuffing:
3. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. While butter is melting, remove stems from the uncooked bell pepper caps and finely chop the pepper caps.
4. Add the chopped peppers, garlic, and onion to the melted butter and sauté over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent.
5. Dice the red potatoes (leave skins on). Add diced potatoes to the cooking pot as you chop them, giving the mixture a good stir every so often. Then, dice the squash and zucchini and add to the mixture, stirring after each addition.
6. Next, add the sausage, sea salt, and dried herbs. Stir, using the wooden spoon to break the sausage into small crumbles. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until veggies are soft and sausage begins to brown.
7. Stir in the marinara sauce and grated Parmesan, then turn off the heat.
To assemble and bake the stuffed peppers:
8. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two casserole dishes with one teaspoon of butter each.
9. Use a spoon to fill each pepper with the Italian stuffing. Place the filled peppers, right side up, into the casserole dishes, making sure they’re evenly spaced in the dishes.
10. Slice the fresh mozzarella into 12 rounds about ¼” thick. Place one slice of mozzarella on top of each pepper, gently pressing it into the Italian mixture so it’s fixed in place.
11. Place the casserole dishes in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. If desired, broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese begins to lightly brown and bubble. (This adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the dish.)
12. Remove from oven, garnish with basil ribbons, or a sprig of baby basil leaves, and serve.
13. Store leftover peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the peppers for up to one month. (Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.) To reheat, place peppers in a foil-covered casserole dish and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until hot.