Stuffed Baby Peppers

I had fun making the stuffed baby bell peppers appetizers! I bought the bell peppers at Trader Joes for an affordable price. I can’r remember where else (in Seattle) people can find these special little sweet bell peppers. They look like this in the package and each package costs about $3.

Wash and slice the top of the baby bell peppers using a small paring knife. Then clean out all the seeds.

The recipe calls for pancetta, which is Italian bacon, but I just used regular bacon for my filling. In her book, Giada says that you can use a variety of meats in the peppers, not only pancetta. I think that this recipe would be scrumptious with Italian sausage (if you are using Italian sausage, cook in pan, drain the oil and water, then cool prior to mixing with the cheese & herb filling). I followed the recipe (see below for recipe) and mixed in all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl.

Then I proceeded to stuff the baby bell peppers…

I used a silpat to line the baking sheet, but a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper works well too.

After baking be sure to let the peppers cool before serving. Giada’s recipe calls for 15 minutes of cooling time. This helps the filling firm up so it doesn’t spill all over the place when someone takes a bite. And, of course we don’t want to burn anyone’s mouth!

FYI – the petit green peas work really well with this recipe! Giada claims this is one of her favorite appetizers and that they are really yummy as left over and eaten straight from the refrigerator?!!

Giada’s Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

• Vegetable oil cooking spray 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (I used regular bacon)
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 24 (2 to 3-inch long) sweet baby peppers

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the onion, pancetta, cheeses, and peas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a paring knife, cut 1/2-inch from the stem-end of the peppers. Remove the seeds and veins. Using a small dessert spoon, fill each pepper with the ricotta mixture. Place the filled peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the peppers begin to soften. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Arrange the peppers on a platter and serve.