If you like stuffed peppers, you will really like these! We think they are really tasty! They would make a delicious meal in the late summer/early fall when local peppers and zucchini are abundant. But they are still great anytime of the year! When I serve them as a main course, I plate one per person, but…I serve a simple pasta first course. You might find you’ll need 2 halves per person otherwise.
Makes 8 Halves
1 ½ lbs. sweet Italian sausages (the ones with fennel), casings removed, or Italian turkey sausages & a few, ground up fennel seeds**
1 ½ cups coarsely grated zucchini, approx. 1 large
½ cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¼ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs (see below)
1 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. minced fresh rosemary
4 medium-size bell peppers, halved lengthwise & seeded
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Lightly beat the egg, then add all the remaining ingredients, except the peppers, in a large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper halves with the mixture, dividing equally & mounding slightly. Arrange in an oiled 13x9x2” baking dish. You can make the day before; cover & chill.
Bake peppers uncovered until tops are browned & an instant read thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 F, about 1 hour. Transfer peppers to a platter, garnish with sprigs of rosemary if you wish & a drizzle of EVO.
Helptul tip: A coffee grinder used only for spices, works very well for grinding the fennel seeds.
Helpful link to Making Breadcrumbs.
