Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers

Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers are a delicious and budget-friendly meal that comes together in 30 minutes or less, using only a handful of simple ingredients.

For other delicious quick and easy Italian-inspired meals, check out the following recipes for: Caprese Sausage Sandwich, Tomato Bacon Pasta with Mascarpone, Pepperoni Pizza Macaroni and Cheese, and Italian Herb Quick Bread.

Ingredient information:

For the sausage stuffing:

ITALIAN SAUSAGE - I used bulk Italian sausage, but sausage in the casings works fine as long as you remove the casings.

Thoroughly cook and crumble the sausage in the skillet. Feel free to use whatever sausage spice level you like. I kept mine to a medium spice level.

ORZO PASTA - This was my choice for this (basically) one pan dish. Since I wanted the pasta to cook along with all the other ingredients in the skillet, I decided to keep the pasta small in size for quicker cooking.

Smaller pasta also lends itself to easier eating. I've listed other pasta options below as good substitutions for the orzo if you prefer.

ONION - Here is where you can use whatever onion you prefer. I used a sweet onion and medium-diced it before adding it to the skillet to cook with the sausage and mushrooms.

CREMINI MUSHROOMS - These are my favorite mushrooms, and I use them often. They have a wonderfully meaty flavor and texture.

After wiping them with a damp paper towel, roughly chop them into 6 or 8 pieces (per mushroom, depending on their size) so you can still see mushrooms in the filling after cooking.

GARLIC - I used pre-jarred minced garlic this time because that's what I had on hand. I love garlic, so I used approximately one tablespoon (roughly five cloves of fresh garlic).

Feel free to adjust the quantity of garlic you use to your taste and preference level. You can also use garlic powder or granulated garlic instead of minced garlic. The choice is yours.

MARINARA SAUCE - I used my favorite store-bought jarred sauce brand, and you can do the same. You will need 2 cups of marinara in total.

If you have homemade marinara sauce in the fridge or freezer, please feel free to use it for this recipe. I didn't have any, so I took the convenience of using store-bought.

Italian Stuffed Pepper seasoning and topping information:

GREEN BELL PEPPERS - Of course, you can use any color bell peppers you like, but I love the green ones when making stuffed peppers. Plus, the colors green, red, and white (from the cheese) represent the Italian flag. 🙂

DRIED BASIL - If you have a dried Italian herb spice blend you enjoy using, by all means, use it for this recipe and omit the dried basil and oregano.

DRIED OREGANO - Please see the paragraph above about using an Italian herb blend, if preferred.

SLICED MOZZARELLA CHEESE - I lined the bottom of the peppers with the sliced mozzarella cheese. You can use shredded mozzarella if you prefer.

GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE - What self-respecting stuffed Italian bell pepper wouldn't use Parmesan cheese?

Feel free to use grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, but please use the highest quality refrigerated variety, not the shelf-stable variety, if possible.

BLACK PEPPER - Freshly cracked black peppercorns are what I always use.

KOSHER SALT - I prefer large-grain kosher salt for cooking and baking. If you're using an iodized table salt, please take note of the gray box below.

*Important Note—If using table salt instead of kosher salt, please cut back on the amount of salt called for in the recipe card by half because they measure differently due to grain size.

Ingredient swap-out and add-in suggestions:

For more bell pepper flavor, feel free to dice an additional bell pepper (any color) and add it when adding the onions and garlic.

Adding fresh baby spinach to the skillet after the pasta has cooked is a terrific way to increase the nutritional level of these already nutritious stuffed peppers. Allow the spinach to wilt before adding the stuffing to the peppers.

Try adding different types of Italian cheese (i.e., pecorino Romano, Asiago) to the top of the stuffed peppers before baking is encouraged, but not necessary.

A couple of tablespoons of ricotta or mascarpone cheese stirred into the filling before stuffing the peppers would lend a creamier texture with an additional depth of flavor.

A splash of red wine stirred into the skillet before adding the pasta would be delicious.

How to blanch bell peppers in the microwave:

• Wash the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Dispose of the stem.
• Remove as many inner ribs and seeds as possible to make room for the filling.
• If needed, slice a small piece from the bottom of the pepper to make it sit level for the filling.
• Place the pepper into a microwave-safe dish.
• Season the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave high-power for 90 seconds, or until slightly soft.
• Set aside until ready to fill.

Will other colors of bell peppers work for this recipe?

Yes. Any color of bell pepper will work.

Red bell peppers have the sweetest flavor, with yellow and orange next in line. Green bell peppers have a sharper, peppery bite and grassy-like flavor.

Can other pasta shapes be used?

You bet!

Small shapes work best for this recipe. You can use ditallini, small shells, orecchiette, macaroni, or pastina.

The larger the pasta, the longer it will take to cook in the skillet with the marinara sauce.

Can these stuffed peppers be made vegetarian?

To make these Italian stuffed bell peppers vegetarian, omit the Italian sausage and increase the mushrooms.

How long does this recipe take from start to dinner?

Approximately 30 minutes from start to dinner.

My top tips for recipe success:

Once the pasta is in the skillet, put the lid on the pot and leave it alone while it cooks.

This will take approximately 10-12 minutes, with no draining needed.

Cover the baking dish with foil after stuffing the peppers and placing them in the oven.

Would homemade marinara sauce be a good option for this recipe?

Sure. If you make a mean marinara sauce and have it on hand, by all means, use it.

I have a delicious sauce you'll love using, not only for this recipe, but for all your homemade classic marinara sauce needs.

How to freeze Italian stuffed peppers -

Once cooled, add the stuffed peppers to an airtight freezer container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat, covered with foil, in a 350-degree F (175 degrees C) oven until hot (approximately 12-15 minutes).

Additional recipes featuring orzo pasta:

Chilled Orzo Pasta Salad with Corn and Blueberries sounds weird, but tastes fantastic. Trust me!

Orzo and Shrimp Stuffed Avocados are a delicious, impressive, stress-free meal that they'll think you spent hours making.

One Pan Orzo with Tomatoes and Spinach is a quick and easy meal that will satisfy the heartiest of appetites without much fuss or clean-up.

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