AUTHENTIC  ITALIAN  RECIPES

 FROM

 RISTORANTE  d'ANNAMARIA

Stuffed peppers, whether they be green, red or yellow, they are a delicious change from American stuffed pepper recipes. "Try it-you'll like it".

** This recipe has been modified from the original version. Thanks to one of my readers, I discovered a basic flaw in the roasting of the peppers part of the recipe.

Ingredients for 6 persons:

6 yellow peppers

extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups Italian bread-cubes

30 pitted black olives 

6 anchovy fillets

1 bunch parsley

Fresh basil

3 tbsp. salted capers

Fresh sauce (see my recipe)

 How to do it:

Preheat the oven to 375° F 

Peel the peppers

Note:

To peel peppers you have a variety of choices. You can do it over charcoal or

a gas barbecue grill. Place the whole peppers over very high heat just until the skin starts to loosen and curl and the pepper just starts to get a little tender. The skin will probably burn. (that's why you rinse the pepper.) You can also do it in a frying pan. If you use this method, use just enough oil to moisten the pan's bottom, but you can ruin your skillet using this method not to mention the smoke you'll probably create. Spread it around with a cloth or paper towel. Pam or any facsimile is great.

You want to remove the majority of the pepper's skin but stiil keep the pepper firm enough to keep its shape.

In this way you can remove the top and clean out the filaments and seeds and be able to actually stuff the pepper.

Remove the skins and rinse the peppers in cold water. 

Remove the stems, seeds and filaments by cutting off the top of the pepper while still keeping the pepper  whole.  

Wash the salt from the anchovy fillets, dry them and cut them in small pieces. 

Place them on a towel. Chop the parsley and basil leaves. 

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large frying pan. 

Add the bread-cubes and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the cubes have toasted lightly in the oil, olives, anchovies, parsley, basil and capers. Mix thoroughly and if the filling should be too dry, stir in a tablespoon or two of the fresh sauce. Fill the peppers with the mixture. Pour a bit of oil in a deep baking dish and arrange the peppers in it in an upright position, standing on their bases. Baste the peppers with fresh sauce and a bit of olive oil. Put the peppers in a 375° F. oven and bake covered for about 1 hour. The dish can be served hot or cold.