Vegetarian italian stuffed peppers with bread

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Those vegetarian italian stuffed peppers are a delicious summer dish. This recipe is a traditional dish of the sicilian cuisine appreciated throughout Italy.

The stuffed peppers are mainly served as a vegetarian main dish or as a starter to enjoy on all informal occasions and family dinners.

Notes for italian stuffed peppers

• The traditional recipe requires a small and slightly squashed type of pepper called Topepo. But it’s kinda difficult to find them outside sicily, even in Italy. So, I used other type instead and they were still delicious!
• This dish can be made a day head and then enjoy at room temperature. No need to heat.
• For the filling there are some variants, adding chopped olives or anchovies you can get a filling with more flavour. Or adding cheeses like Caciocavallo o Provola in cubes you will get a richer and more complete dish.
• I do not recommend freezing as the filling can get very mushy when defrosted.

The ingredients

TOPEPO PEPPERS – Or other small type of red peppers.

TOMATOES – Fresh and the most ripe you can find.

BREAD – This is a wonderful recipe to use your bread leftovers. As for the crumbs, we used italian crumbs.

CHEESE – Grated Sicilian pecorino. But it can be used also another types of cheese, like parmigiano.

CAPERS – The traditional recipe uses Pantelleria capers, Use whatever you have, just make sure to rinse them well of any salt they may contain.

GARLIC – This ingredient is a key to add flavour to the recipe, you can add as much as you like.

FRESH HERBS – Basil, parsley, thyme. Finely chopped.

OIL – A good extra virgin olive oil.

How to make Vegetarian italian stuffed peppers

Put the bread to soak in warm water for about 10 minutes. Squeeze it well with your hands to get ride of the liquid then crumble it inside a large bowl.

Cut tomatoes into cubes and finely chop garlic along with the herbs and half the capers.

In a small frying pan, fry the garlic and the herbs for a few seconds. Add chopped tomatoes, mix and immediately turn off the fame, let the mixture cool down.

Add all the ingredients into the bowl with bread, add the pecorino and the remaining capers. Season with salt and pepper; then mix for a couple of minutes to combine very well the ingredients.

Trim about 1 cm from tops of peppers. Remove the seeds then place them in a baking pan. Brush the peppers with a little olive oil.

Fill the peppers using a spoon, pressing to compact the filling very well into the pepper .

Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs on top and drizzle with olive oil, cover with the tops of each pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 180° / 360F for 30 minutes.

After the time passed, remove the tops and continue baking for another 10 minutes.

More italian summer dishes to enjoy

• Zucchini pesto pasta
• La peperonata with potatoes
• Puttanesca chicken
• Italian rice salad
• Vegan puttanesca salad
• Zeppole with zucchini

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Vegetarian italian stuffed peppers with bread

Those vegetarian italian stuffed peppers are a delicious summer dish. The recipe is a traditional staple of the sicilian cuisine appreciated throughout Italy. 

The stuffed peppers are mainly served as a vegetarian main dish or as a starter to enjoy on all informal occasions and family dinners.

Course main dish

Cuisine italian, vegetarian

Keyword italian dish, peppers, stuffed, vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 Topepo peppers or 4 red bell peppers
• 180 gr tomatoes
• 200 gr bread
• 40 gr sicilian pecorino or any kind of parmigiano
• 20 gr Pentelleria cappers or any kind
• 1 garlic clove peeled
• fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 15 gr bread crumbs
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Put the bread to soak in warm water for about 10 minutes. Squeeze it well with your hands to get ride of the liquid then crumble it inside a large bowl.
• Cut tomatoes into cubes and finely chop garlic along with the herbs and half the capers.
• In a small frying pan, fry the garlic and the herbs for a few seconds. Add chopped tomatoes, mix and immediately turn off the fame, let the mixture cool down.
• Add all the ingredients into the bowl with bread, add the pecorino and the remaining capers. Season with salt and pepper; then mix for a couple of minutes to combine very well the ingredients.
• Trim about 1 cm from tops of peppers. Remove the seeds then place them in a baking pan. Brush the peppers with a little olive oil.
• Fill the peppers using a spoon, pressing to compact the filling very well into the pepper .
• Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs on top and drizzle with olive oil, cover with the tops of each pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 180° /360F for 30 minutes.
• After the time passed, remove the tops and continue baking for another 10 minutes.