BREAD STUFFED PEPPERS – Recipe by Piero Benigni – These tasty peppers can be prepared in any season and everybody likes them. They are both an appetizer or a main course and can be served hot or at room temperature, cold in summer. By the way, they are a great idea when you have guests, who will appreciate and remember them for a long time. They are normally eaten the day after, when flavours and aromas are perfectly combined in an outstanding and unexpected result. The recipe is Sicilian and can be made in about one hour. The dish is fully vegetarian and light.
Ingredients for 2 people
- 2peppers
- 120 gbread (about 4 oz)
- 150 gtomatoes (about 5 oz)
- 1 sprigparsley
- 8 leavesbasil
- 40 gpecorino cheese (about 3 1/2 oz)
- 1 spooncapers (in salt or vinegar)
- 8olives (black or brown, stoned)
- 2 spoonsbreadcrumbs
- 1 clovegarlic (at pleasure)
- salt (at pleasure)
- black pepper (at pleasure)
- olive oil (as needed)
Tools for bread stuffed peppers
- Oven
- Bowl
- Colander
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Scale
- Spoon
- Mold
Use an Italian type bread, otherwise white or sandwich bread. Cut in dices, put in bowl, soak 15 minutes. Put in a colander, let drain, take handfuls and strongly squeeze to remove water. Return to bowl. Wash capers from salt or vinegar, squeeze and dry. While bread is soaking chop basil, parsley, capers, stoned olives and garlic if using it. Add into the bowl.
Clean and chop tomatoes, cut in dices, add into bowl. Add grated pecorino. Mix and combine well. Add salt, pepper if you like. Taste and adjust, the mix must be savoury. If bland, the finished dish will be bland and tasteless.
Divide peppers lengthwise, clean and remove seeds, internal ribs and internal stem. Be careful not to pierce or break through. Salt inside of shells and stuff with mix. Spread everywhere and compact with the spoon. Put some breadcrumbs on top, some more cheese if you like, add a little olive oil.
Grease baking pan with a Tbsp olive oil, pour 4 Tbsp water, place peppers. Put in not fan-assisted oven at 200 °C (380 °F), heat bottom and above, second position from bottom.
Bake for 40 minutes or until shells are fork tender, skin is wrinkled and top shows a gratin. Can be served hot, lukewarm, at room temperature or cold, depending on season. Anyway they are much better the day after. They keep 2 days in the fridge and can be frozen with a 3 months life.