Colorful bell peppers form the base of this wonderful dish. It's filled with cheesy Italian sausage, tomatoes, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and orzo pasta. They are easy to make and yummy too!
19 oz. four-cheese Italian sausage, casings removed
14.5 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. dried orzo pasta
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 c. chicken stock/broth
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 bell peppers, varied colors
½ t. kosher salt
8 basil leaves, chopped, optional for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Warm 1 T. oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, about 2 minutes. Add orzo; stir to coat; cook until orzo is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to high; add chicken stock/broth; bring to a boil; reduce to medium heat for about 7-10 minutes, until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, wash peppers; cut tops off; remove seeds and membranes; pat peppers dry with a paper towel.
Place peppers with tops and bottoms, in a microwave-safe bowl; toss with 1 T. oil and kosher salt. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a microwave-safe lid. Microwave until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove peppers from bowl; place in a 9x9 inch baking dish.
In the meantime, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings by sliding a sharp pairing knife down the length of the sausage; peel to remove. Add sausage to skillet; cook until browned.
In the orzo pan; combine sausage, tomatoes, mozzarella and cheeses; stir to combine. Use a spoon to stuff mixture into peppers. Set tops aside.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.
Place tops on peppers. Serve, garnished with chopped basil, if desired.
8 servings.