Description
Colorful bell peppers filled with a rich, herb-packed mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, wilted spinach, fresh basil, green onions, and fragrant fennel seeds with rosemary and thyme, topped with olive oil toasted breadcrumbs and baked until golden and perfectly set. A stunning, satisfying vegetarian dinner that looks as good as it tastes.
Ingredients
For the Peppers:
- 4 bell peppers, any color
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
For the Filling:
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 tub (15 oz / 425g) ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (56g) Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup green onions, sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, dried thyme, fennel seeds (smashed), and salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
For the Topping:
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove all seeds and membranes. Rub the outside of each pepper with olive oil and stand upright in a baking dish.
- Wilt the spinach in a hot dry skillet for 1–2 minutes until completely collapsed. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop and set aside.
- Smash the fennel seeds using a zip-lock bag and rolling pin or mortar and pestle to release their aromatic oils.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, sliced green onions, fresh basil, chopped parsley, dried rosemary, dried thyme, smashed fennel seeds, salt, and black pepper. Add the squeezed spinach and both eggs and stir until fully and evenly combined.
- Spoon the filling generously into each pepper, pressing down to eliminate air pockets and filling to the very top.
- Toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil until evenly coated and spoon over the top of each filled pepper.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 12–15 more minutes until the breadcrumb topping is deeply golden and the filling is completely set.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Squeeze the wilted spinach as dry as possible before adding to the filling — excess moisture makes the filling wet and prevents it from setting cleanly during baking.
- Smashing the fennel seeds is essential — whole fennel seeds contribute almost no flavor while smashed ones release their aromatic oils and distribute their distinctive warmth throughout the entire filling.
- The foil stage steams the peppers tender while the uncovered final bake crisps the breadcrumb topping — both stages are important and neither should be skipped.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 42 mins