Serves 6
Notes
We always made stuffed peppers when I was a child, and even though this dish seems to have Eastern European roots, it is part of tradition in our house, especially when the peppers are abundant. The chopped meat for the stuffing was a blend of pork, beef, and veal. Here the dish is a little lighter, using ground turkey and some vegetables as well. It is easy and foolproof. Be careful not to overstuff the peppers: the stuffing will expand out of the peppers if you do. This dish keeps well in the refrigerator, and when my mother was alive, I would freeze them in pint containers with some sauce and label them so she would have a meal ready if I was traveling or getting home late.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups tomato passata
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian oregano on the branch
- Kosher salt
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 4 cups day-old bread cubes (from a sturdy loaf)
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93/7)
- 6 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
Directions
Heat a large Dutch oven (large enough to hold the peppers) over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and cook until it’s tender, about 8 minutes. Add the passata, and rinse out the bottle with 2 cups water, adding the water to the pot. Then add the oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, and let cook while you stuff the peppers.
Put the bread cubes in a bowl, and add warm water to cover. Let them soak until they’re just softened, about 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water, and place the bread in a large bowl. Put the carrot and zucchini in a dish towel, and wring out any excess moisture. Add them to the bowl, along with the grated cheese, parsley, and eggs. Season the mixture with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Crumble in the turkey, and mix all to combine.
Cut the tops from the peppers, and remove the seeds and ribs. Divide the stuffing among the peppers. (If you have any leftover stuffing, depending on the size of your peppers, make the remainder into a few meatballs, and bake them on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 15 minutes to set them, then cook them alongside the peppers in the sauce.) Nestle the peppers in the sauce, adjust the heat so the sauce is simmering around them, and cover. Cook until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pluck out the bay leaves and serve.
