- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and minced
- 3 lbs. boneless pork butt cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can tomato purée
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 5 or 6 leaves fresh basil shredded
- 9 large sweet bell peppers washed and dried
- 1 lb. ground sirloin
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1 lb. ground veal
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 large onion peeled and minced
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 7 cups of tomato sauce
Ingredients
- To make the sauce, in a saucepot heat the olive oil and cook the onion until it softens. Stir in the pork butt chunks and Italian sausage and brown on all sides. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic softens. Lower the heat and stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato purée, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer the sauce for about 1 hour. Stir in the basil. The sauce is now ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut 1/4 inch off the tops of the peppers. Carefully remove the seeds with a spoon, then rinse the peppers and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sirloin, pork, veal, rice, cheese, onions, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands. Fill the cavities of the peppers with some of the mixture, being careful not to over-pack them or they will spill in the oven while baking.
- Ladle 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce in each of 2 large baking pans. Arrange the peppers upside down in the pans. Ladle 2 cups of the sauce over each pan of peppers. Cover the pans tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the peppers are soft. Remove the pans from the oven, remove the foil, and carefully turn the peppers right side up. Serve the peppers immediately with additional sauce on the side.
Directions
Tips/Techniques
Chef Maryann Esposito notes: This is one of the most magical dishes of southern Italy, especially from around the province of Avellino, in Campania. I have often grown sweet bell peppers in my garden, but the sweetness of those I have had from Campania far outshines anything I have ever tasted here. It is the variety, the intensity of the Mediterranean sun, and the long growing season that accounts for this. Or maybe it is the proximity of grumpy Mount Vesuvius that has lent richness to the soil over the centuries.
Whatever the reasons, these delicious peppers and the variety of seasonings and stuffings they encase, are a favorite of many. My mother makes hers with ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal and keeps this meat mixture moist by baking the stuffed peppers upside down. They can be baked a day ahead and are even better as leftovers. They make a great entrée for a party. Serve a salad and crusty bread and let the party begin!
This segment appears in show #3017.
Recipe courtesy of Maryann Esposito
© 2005 Maryann Esposito
Search or Browse Recipes
Course
Cuisine
Occasion
Theme