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–+ servings
One stuffed pepper on a plate with yogurt and fresh parsley.

Stuffed Romano Peppers

Beth Lee
Stuffed romano peppers filled with beef, lamb, rice and flavored with baharat will surely make you a romano pepper fan. Inspired by an Ottolenghi stuffed peppers recipe by his mom, I promise you'll put this recipe on repeat in your menu plan.
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 6
Calories 359 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 - 8 medium Romano peppers or other mild sweet peppers like Anaheim
  • 10-20 cherry tomatoes about 1 cup
  • 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or a combination of both
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Stuffing

  • ¾ cup basmati rice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Baharat spice mix store bought or homemade
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 14 oz ground lamb or beef or a combination
  • 2 ½ tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dried mint
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

Prepare the stuffing

  • Sauté the baharat and cardamom in the frying pan you plan to cook the stuffed peppers in. Heat your fry pan to medium to medium high and add the spices in and mix around for 15 – 30 seconds to release some of the flavor.
    Baharat and cardamom in a large fry pan.
  • Add the olive oil and chopped onion, turn the heat down to medium and sauté the onion until it's becoming translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.
    Onions and spices mixed together in the fry pan.
  • Add the rice to the onion spice mixture and continue to cook for about 3 minutes or so. Set the mixture aside to cool.
    Onions, rice, and spices all mixed together in the fry pan.
  • While the onion mixture is cooling, add the meat, herbs, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl. When the onion mixture is cool, add it to the meat mixture in the large bowl. Use your hands to mix it all together.
    Hand holding a red bowl with the filling ingredients in it.

Prepare the peppers

  • Starting at the stalk end of the pepper, cut a slit about ¾ of the way down the pepper to create a long opening. Gently remove the seeds from the inside.
    Hand holding a romano pepper that has been slit open.
  • Fill each pepper with approximately equal amounts of the stuffing. Hard to give an exact amount since peppers are not a standard size. Just stuff them as best you can and then add in more to each pepper to finish off the filling – ok if the stuffing bulges out a bit but don’t over pack or rip the peppers. The rice will expand a bit when it cooks.
    Hand holding big pan with stuffed romano peppers in it ready to cook.

Cook the stuffed peppers

  • Place the remaining chopped onion in the large fry pan where the peppers will go and sauté them until they soften a bit – 5 minutes or so. (this pictures shows a sliced jalapeno as well - not necessary but it was a fun addition!)
    Onions and jalapeno slices in large fry pan.
  • Add the tomatoes to the pan as well and the additional salt and pepper. The onions and tomatoes form the base that the peppers will cook on.
    Tomatoes, onions and jalapenos in fry pan ready to place stuffed peppers on top.
  • Place the peppers on top and add enough stock to come up about ⅛ of an inch on the peppers. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and let it simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes. Periodically check the amount of liquid in the pan and ensure there is always a bit there. You want the peppers to steam inside the pan.
    Close up showing liquid in pan with uncooked stuffed romano peppers.
  • You’ll know the peppers are done by the color of the filling, the size of the rice and the shade of the peppers. Or cut one open and check if you feel unsure. These peppers are excellent leftover the next day. And go well with a dollop of yogurt on top or the side as well.
    Stuffed romano peppers cooked and in still in sauté pan.

Notes

  • You can break this recipe into stages. For example, prepare the stuffed peppers up to the cooking point, refrigerate and just cook them right before you serve.
  • Or cook the peppers ahead and reheat. Our two-day-old leftovers maintained their flavor and shape.
  • Alternatively, prepare the filling mixture ahead and clean and cut the peppers so you are ready to go at dinner time.
  • Though not necessary, yogurt is a nice creamy finisher for these peppers. You could even make a yogurt sauce with lemon juice, herbs from the stuffing and maybe even some preserved lemon to serve on top or the side.
  • If you don’t have fresh dill, dry will work. 
  • If you don’t have dried mint, omit it or try a touch of fresh.
  • Can’t find Romano peppers? Substitute Anaheims, poblanos or any elongated sweet, mild pepper or mix them -- makes for a beautiful presentation.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 14gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 1010mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 498IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Ottolenghi, Romano peppers, Stuffed peppers
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