Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Peppers

These SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS are filled with creamy stuffing and the perfect amount of herbs and lemon zest to balance the flavours in your mouth. Served alongside crispy baked potatoes, it is a light, flavourful, comfort food meal that will be sure to please even the pickiest meat-eater!

It has been a while since I bought sweet peppers which in Australia we call ‘Banana Peppers’. For many years, I used to add them to our salad or just slice them into sections and chomp on them throughout the day as you would carrot sticks. However, this time, when I saw them at my local IGA supermarket, in an act of mild spontaneity, I decided to do what my neighbour had once told me. She would grow her own banana peppers every year so that she could make stuffed peppers for her family just the way her parents did for her. I probably should have asked her for the recipe but since I love to experiment, I decided to just ‘wing-it' and make them with spinach and ricotta.

I posted this experiment in my stories on Instagram and so many responded asking for the recipe. To my surprise, they had not seen these banana peppers stuffed this way and so that is how this recipe came about.

Since I also have an abundance of parsley, green onions, and lemons in my garden, I added these ingredients to the recipe and I will say, it is a MUST! The lemon zest is what you will notice in that first bite and then the creamy ricotta and fresh greens.

Be aware that yes, it is a little bit of a pain to get that mixture all the way down into the crevasses but I have suggested making a slit which helps this process, and trust me, it is so worth the effort when you take that first bite.

This is also a fantastic meal to make for guests as you can assemble the sweet peppers and stuff them ahead of time and just keep them covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. Just add the potatoes last minute.

And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board as well! I have a board named CreateCookShare that you can follow and save. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Happy Creating,

Margaret

Watch How to make It

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Sweet Peppers:

8 large sweet peppers/banana peppers

500g fresh ricotta

2 heaped tablespoons of parmesan cheese

1 egg, whisked

120g baby spinach, finely chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

¼ cup dill, finely chopped

Zest of 1 whole lemon

Sea salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Potatoes:

6 medium potatoes, sliced into quarters

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 heaped teaspoon dried Greek oregano

Sea salt and pepper

1. Combine well in a bowl the ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, baby spinach, green onions, garlic, parsley, dill, zest of lemon, sea salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Cut off the tops of the sweet peppers and make a slit lengthwise down each pepper to slightly open it up. This makes it easier to get the stuffing all the way in from top to tip.

3. At this stage preheat the oven to180°C fan forced / 200°C conventional oven / 400°F and line a baking tray with baking paper.

4. Stuff the peppers with the spinach and ricotta mixture and bring the opening slits together so that the stuffing holds the two sides together (it is okay if the peppers are not completely closed). Arrange on the baking tray with the opening facing upwards.

5. In a separate bowl add the potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and dried Greek oregano. Combine well and add to the same baking tray, in between the sweet peppers.

6. Drizzle over the sweet peppers and the 2 tablespoons of EVOO and place them into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes then cover loosely with baking paper and cook a further 15 minutes.

7. Serve immediately. Optional to garnish with fresh parsley leaves and serve with fresh crusty bread.

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