Developing recipes is such an interesting process for me. No recipe development is ever the same and its inspiration is always different. I get most of my ideas from things like family and travel. Or a pretty color palette that I want to take from a photo and recreate with fresh food. Other times it’s old memories of dishes I ate as a kid. And sometimes, a recipe will just happen randomly as I am cooking. I’ll swap this for that, add a little of this, and then do something totally random…like top roasted red peppers with pepperoni (I know it’s weird, but I promise it’s so good). The times when recipes come together randomly as I’m cooking away are usually the recipes I love most. And that is most certainly the case with these peppers.
Here are the details – start with the peppers
You can use any color bell pepper for this recipe or even poblano peppers. But I love red peppers, so that’s what I use most often. Start by pre-roasting the peppers over an open flame on a gas burner. Char the peppers just lightly to give them a nice flavor. Then transfer the pepper to a bowl, cover the bowl, and let the peppers steam while you make the sauce. If you don’t have a gas burner, put the peppers under the broiler, but watch them closely. The broiler works very quickly.
Make the red sauce
I kept this very simple, using canned tomatoes, fresh oregano, and thyme. I did add a special ingredient – spicy Italian chicken sausage (though you could also use ground chicken). Of course, if you’re vegetarian or just going for a meatless Monday theme, you can easily omit the sausage. Just double up on the zucchini. I’d also recommend adding some fresh garlic and a touch more crushed red pepper flakes. This will keep the sauce flavorful and on the spicy side. Either way, with or without the sausage it’s going to be great, so do what works for you!
Now we assemble…
First, mix the ricotta cheese with the pesto. Then add the pepper halves to a baking dish with a bit more tomato sauce. Then stuff them with the spicy meat sauce, a dollop of pesto swirled ricotta, and finish with mozzarella and pepperoni. And I know, the pepperoni is different. But my dad used to top his pasta dish with pepperoni and it was so, so good. I did the same here, and again…so, so good. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is all bubbly and top with more pesto and basil! Then just serve these up! They’re great with a loaf of crusty bread on the side, or even with your favorite pasta. If I could best describe this dish, I would say that it’s kind of like a pizza stuffed red pepper. I’m usually all about the carbs. But these cheesy peppers are surprisingly filling. And when served with bread plus a salad…well, they make for the perfect dinner! Looking for other dinner recipes? Here are some favorites: Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers with Lemony Basil Tomatoes Cauliflower and Cheese with Spicy Breadcrumbs 30 Minute Cajun Butter Steak and Peppers Lastly, if you make these Spicy Pesto Cheese Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
