Stuffed bell peppers with ricotta

These stuffed bell peppers with ricotta are a delicious quick meal for busy weekdays. 

When I have guests over, I enjoy spending hours in the kitchen, but during the week I keep things as simple as possible at home. I like to let vegetables steal the show as the basis of every meal. These stuffed bell peppers are very easy to make and the filling with ricotta or vegan ‘ricotta’ made from tofu is packed with flavor!

In this recipe, I add fried mushrooms, zucchini, and olives to the filling. Not a fan of mushrooms? Bell peppers also go very well with peas or butternut squash, which is now in peak season!

You can prepare the filling in advance, so that all you need to do in the evening is stuff the bell peppers and pop them in the oven.

Enjoy!

Love,

Stuffed bell peppers with ricotta (+ vegan recipe for tofu ricotta)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the zucchini into small cubes and slice the mushrooms.
3. Heat a large pan with some olive oil and fry everything for about 5 minutes. The vegetables will continue to cook in the oven, but ‘pre-frying’ gives them a deeper flavor. Season with fresh or dried oregano, pepper, and possibly (smoked) paprika powder.
4. Mix the vegetables into the ricotta and season with sea salt.
5. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Fill the bell peppers with the ricotta and vegetable mixture and top with olive slices.
6. Bake the bell peppers in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
7. If desired, garnish with some organic lemon zest, fresh parsley (or oregano/basil) and roasted pine nuts. You can easily roast them yourself in a dry pan until golden brown (see tips).

JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:

• Would you like to serve these stuffed peppers vegan or lactose-free? Replace the traditional ricotta with this vegan ‘ricotta’ made from tofu or this vegan cheese made from macadamia nuts.
• Not a fan of mushrooms? Replace them with another protein-rich vegetable such as frozen peas, blanched broccoli, or a bag (400 g) of (baby) spinach. You can also replace the mushrooms with legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, or red beans.
• To toast the pine nuts: heat a dry pan over high heat. Pour the pine nuts into the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Stir regularly with a spatula to prevent the pine nuts from burning. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the nuts turn golden brown.

Would you like me to share more quick oven bakes like this recipe? Let me know by leaving a message in the comments.