These stuffed peppers are stuffed with sweet Italian sausage and onions, zucchini, fire roasted tomatoes, orzo and nutty parmesan-reggiano. By switching up the protein and vegetables you can make this dish your own.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook/Bake: 50 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 lb Italian Sausage

1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 Zucchini, shredded

1/2 cup Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 cup Orzo

1 cup Chicken Stock, reduced sodium

1 cup Water

4 Sweet Peppers, cut in half and seeded

3 oz Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat add in olive oil and sausage. Brown until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

While sausage is cooking bring to a boil the chicken stock and water and add in the orzo. Cook half the time of package directions. (If the package says cook for 8 minutes only cook for 4 minutes.) Once orzo has cooked drain the liquid into a 9x13 baking dish and place the orzo in a large bowl. 

After the sausage has browned add in the onions and cook until translucent. Then stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. 

Once the sausage, onions and garlic have cooked add them into the bowl with the orzo along with the zucchini, tomatoes and parmesan cheese; stir to combine. Add in salt and pepper to desired taste.

Spoon the sausage mixture into each half of the peppers and place in the baking dish that has the reserved orzo liquid. (If the peppers don’t lay flat in the baking dish, slice off a small portion of the bottom.)

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 35 minutes. Five minutes before finished remove the foil and sprinkle more cheese over top each pepper; serve and enjoy!