Hearty Italian Sausage and Ricotta Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

- 4 large bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup burrata cheese, torn into pieces
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the Peppers
Preheat your stove to medium heat. Lightly coat the pepper halves with olive oil and set aside.

2. Cook the Sausage and Beef
In a large pan over medium heat, add the Italian sausage and ground beef. Cook for about 8 minutes, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon until browned. Drain excess fat.

3. Add Aromatics and Vegetables
To the pan, add mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for another 3 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is fragrant.

4. Season and Simmer
Stir in dried Italian herbs and red chili flakes. Add in the chopped spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 2 minutes.

5. Combine with Cheese
Remove the pan from heat. Fold in ricotta cheese, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Stuff the Peppers
Place pepper halves in a large skillet or pan. Fill each half with the sausage and ricotta mixture. Drizzle tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar over the stuffed peppers.

7. Heat through Stove
Cover the pan and allow the peppers to cook on a stove set to low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

8. Finish and Serve
Remove the cover and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and torn burrata pieces over the top. Continue cooking uncovered for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

Preparation & Cooking Time

- Preparation Time: PT20M
20 minutes

- Cooking Time: PT30M
30 minutes

Total Time

PT50M
50 minutes

Type of Dish

Dinner

Keywords

Stuffed peppers, Italian cuisine, dinner recipe, ricotta, Italian sausage, ground beef, cheese-filled peppers, basil, skillet recipe, gourmet dinner

Recipe Yield

Feeds 4 adults

Calories

Total: 2,650 calories

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