I love stuffed peppers, but the version from my childhood, in which the peppers are parboiled, yields a slightly uncooked flesh that is robbed of its full flavor. I experimented with roasting whole peppers—the generally accepted method—but found that they became too flimsy and unstable for stuffing.

Then I discovered that by removing the tops of the peppers and scooping out the seeds before roasting achieved the enhanced taste that roasting imparts, while maintaining a pepper that holds up to stuffing. This method eliminates most of the  liquid created during roasting, consequently reducing mushiness.

As you can see from the photos, I used primarily red peppers but experimented with some yellow and orange varieties in my Sausage and Olive-Stuffed Roasted Peppers. I found that they did not hold up as well as the red peppers, so I recommend using only the large red ones.

For my filling, I chose Italian sausage (sweet rather hot, so that I controlled the spiciness), Italian red rice, olives, chopped roasted pepper tops, herbs, and a touch of tomato paste. This produces a wonderfully rich and flavorful filling. Thus, I was finally pleased with my Sausage and Olive-Stuffed Peppers.

To Go Directly to the Recipe, Click Here.

Select large, firm-fleshed, non-wrinkled peppers for this Sauce and Olive-Stuffed Roasted Pepper recipe. Cut off about 1 1⁄2 inches from the stem end of the peppers. Remove the seeds as well as the inner membranes.

Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil, and place the peppers and the tops on the foil.

Broil the peppers and the cut-off tops in the pan about 4 inches from the flame, turning them frequently with tongs until they are blistered and somewhat blackened all over.

Place the peppers and the roasted tops in a large covered pot to sweat for about 15 minutes, which makes them much easier to peel.

Carefully remove the blistered skin from the peppers. You may not be able to get every last bit, but be sure to remove the most blackened parts.

Also, remove the skins from the tops of the peppers, discard the stems, chop the flesh, and reserve it.

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel seed for about 2 minutes, just until it turns fragrant.

Remove the seed to a side dish.

In the same skillet, heat 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of the olive oil over a low flame. Add the onion and the dried chili pepper.

Cover the skillet and cook slowly for about 10-15 minutes until the onion is softened, but not browned.

While the onions are cooking, bring a kettle of salted water to the boil, and stir in the rice. I like Italian red rice— a whole grain wild rice— for this purpose because it gives a nutty flavor, holds up into separate grains, and has a bite to the texture. 

Here is the brand of Italian red rice I use:

If you can’t find either red or black Italian rice, you could substitute brown rice, or even wild rice.

Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook the rice for about 25-30 minutes until it  is tender, but not mushy. Drain the water from the rice, and add the butter, gently stirring until incorporated.

In the meantime, using a pair of scissors, remove the casing from the sausages.

Uncover the skillet, raise the heat to medium, and add the sausage meat to the pan, breaking it up into small pieces.

When it has turned pink, add the minced garlic. With a fork, further break up the meat into the smallest pieces possible. When all the color is gone from the meat, add the tomato paste, stirring to distribute it evenly.

I used Sicilian flavored, pitted green olives because I like the contrasting color they impart, but you could also use any black or kalamata olive. Add the cooked rice, sliced olives, fennel seed, parsley, oregano, and the chopped pepper-tops flesh to the sausage mixture. Taste for salt and pepper.

Shred the mozzarella on the large grater holes.

Add the mozzarella to the sausage mixture.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat it to 350°. Lightly oil a baking dish. Using a spoon, carefully stuff the peppers with the sausage mixture, filling each one to the top. Place them in the baking dish, balancing each pepper against the next to hold them upright throughout the baking process.

Mix the panko crumbs with the grated Parmigiano, and spread it over the tops of each pepper. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the the crumb mixture on each Sausage and Olive-Stuffed Roasted Peppers.

Bake for about15-20 minutes, until the filling is hot and the crumbs are lightly browned.

Serve the Sausage and Olive-Stuffed Roasted Peppers over a pool of your favorite tomato sauce or a combination of tomato sauce and cooked polenta.

To Download or Print the Full Recipe, Click Here.