Description
Vibrant bell peppers filled with a creamy, deeply herbed mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh spinach, basil, parsley, green onions, and fragrant fennel, rosemary, and thyme, topped with crispy golden breadcrumbs and baked until perfectly set and bubbling. A stunning vegetarian dinner that is as impressive to look at as it is satisfying to eat.
Ingredients
For the Peppers:
- 4 bell peppers, any color
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
For the Filling:
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 (15 oz / 425g) tub ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (56g) grated Parmesan
- ½ cup sliced green onions
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, roughly smashed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
For the Topping:
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Rub the outside of each pepper with olive oil and place upright in a baking dish.
- Wilt the spinach by placing it in a hot dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring until completely wilted. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a clean kitchen towel. Roughly chop and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, sliced green onions, fresh basil, chopped parsley, dried rosemary, dried thyme, smashed fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Add the squeezed and chopped spinach and the two eggs and stir until everything is fully and evenly combined.
- Spoon the ricotta filling generously into each prepared pepper, pressing it down lightly to eliminate air pockets and filling to the very top.
- In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the tablespoon of olive oil until the crumbs are evenly coated. Spoon the oiled breadcrumbs over the top of each stuffed pepper.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10–12 minutes until the breadcrumb topping is deeply golden, the filling is set, and the peppers are completely tender.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Squeeze the wilted spinach as dry as possible before adding it to the filling — excess moisture from the spinach makes the filling wet and prevents it from setting properly during baking.
- Smashing the fennel seeds before adding them releases their essential oils and distributes their anise-like flavor far more evenly through the filling than whole seeds do.
- Covering with foil for the first 30 minutes steams the peppers tender before the final uncovered bake crisps the breadcrumb topping — do not skip the foil stage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 mins