My grandma was one of the best cooks I’ve known and she made the most delicious stuffed peppers ever! Many fond memories of helping her in the kitchen. I have added an extra touch to her recipe using Grana Padano PDO but the soul of the recipe remains the same. It’s an easy dinner idea any day of the week. (Chef Salvo)
Ingredients
500 grams of minced lamb
100 grams of button mushrooms (chopped)
1 ½ cups of frozen or fresh corn
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
Two 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato paste
1 tbsp of thyme
1 tbsp of oregano
2 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of paprika
½ tsp chili flakes
1 to 1 ½ cups of freshly cooked long grain rice
6 bell peppers (red or yellow)
¼ cup Italian parsley (finely chopped)
½ cup grated Grana Padano Cheese (for mixture)
¼ cup of grated Grana Padano Cheese (to sprinkle on top)
Preparation
STEP 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. To the oil add 1 medium onion (chopped), 3 cloves of garlic (grated) and ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes. Add saute till onions soften.
STEP 2
Once the onions have slightly colored, add 500 grams of mince lamb to the pan. Combine well. Cook on medium-high heat till meat is almost cooked.
STEP 3
Add 100 grams of button mushrooms (chopped). Add 1 ½ cups of corn kernels and combine. Add two 400-gram cans of diced tomatoes and mix well. Add 1 teaspoon of paprika and 1tablespoon of oregano. 2 teaspoons of cumin powder, 1 tablespoon of thyme and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup of grated Grana Padano cheese. 1 ½ cups of cooked long grain rice. Cook for 5-10 minutes till everything comes together.
STEP 4
Combine well and add ¼ cup of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley. Cut the tops off the peppers and spoon out the ribs and seeds. Lightly sprinkle the insides of the peppers with salt. Cover the tray with cling wrap and place in microwave for 4-5 minutes.
STEP 5
Fill the peppers with the cooked meat, rice and cheese mixture. Sprinkle grated Grana Padano cheese on the top of each pepper. Bake at 180 deg C for 20 minutes.
