Italian stuffed peppers are famous around the world as a tasty shabby-chic budget dish that brighten up any mealtime and are enjoyed by young and old alike. However, saying ‘Italian style Stuffed Peppers’ is like saying in the US that Thanksgiving Stuffing or Dressing is the same across each of the States; visit each region in Italy and wind across its provinces and you will notice a subtle difference between the herbs used in their delicious stuffings, as well as what they stuff.
Cucina Povera Style Art Form
Abruzzo is famed for the light delicate stuffings of its Adriatic coast and Apennine mountains. Stuffings were originally produced with what was at hand and through economic necessity to ensure that everyone got a bite and no one went hungry; vegetables, seafood and meat were all used in the region and our recipe below can be adapted for stuffed zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms.
Culinary Vocab – How to say in Italian
- Stuffing – Ripieno
- To Stuff – Farciere
Read our post Deep Pepper – Long, Round, Sweet, Hot: An Abruzzo Love Affair
Other Italia Sweet Italia Stuffing Recipes
Stuffed Squid with Peas | Baked Conchiglie stuffed with Cheese, Sausage & Truffle | Stuffed Mussels
- 4 medium-size peppers
- 200 g of mince meat or sweet Italian sausage
- 100 g of cheese (Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino)
- 1 egg
- 50 g of breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped basil
- Salt according to taste
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Vertically cut peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith. Blanch for 5 minutes in lightly salted boiling water and leave to drain skin side up.
- Mix the meat with egg, parsley, basil, bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons of cheese and a couple of grinds from the salt mill. If the mixture is a little too stiff, add a little milk.
- Sit the peppers on their backs in an oil greased baking dish and fill each with the stuffing. Be careful not to over-stuff them! Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and drizzle with oil.
- Bake at 180 C for at least 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the stuffing is a golden brown.
- Excellent served either hot or cold with green salad
Check out our website to discover our Cookery Holidays in Abruzzo. You’ll learn how to cook real traditional Italian plates in the friendly and relaxing Abruzzo.
