Stuffed Pepper Risotto with Herbs and Pine Nuts
RisottoMediterraneanMedium

Stuffed Pepper Risotto with Herbs and Pine Nuts

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Sweet bell peppers are filled with creamy white-wine risotto, fresh tomato, parsley, lemon and toasted pine nuts, then baked until tender with a golden Parmesan top. The risotto is started on the stovetop and finished in the oven, so the rice absorbs the pepper juices as it bakes.

Prep
25 min
Cook
1 hr 7 min
Wait
5 min
Total
1 hr 37 min
Makes
4 stuffed peppers (1 per person)
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Steps

Before you start
  • Choose 4 large, blocky bell peppers (about 250 g / 9 oz each) that can stand upright; trim a thin slice off any wobbly bottoms, taking care not to cut a hole.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the center before you start.
  • Warm the broth in a small saucepan and keep it hot over low heat. Cold broth slows the risotto and makes the rice cook unevenly.
  • Read the timing: the peppers pre-bake while you make the risotto on the stovetop, so have everything chopped before you turn on the burner.

  1. Prepare the peppersOven 400°F / 205°C

    • Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
    • Slice the tops off the 4 bell peppers about ½ inch (1.25 cm) below the stem and set the tops aside.
    • Pull out the seeds and white ribs.
    • Rub the outsides and insides with the 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle the insides with ¼ tsp salt.
    • Stand the peppers upright in the baking dish, trimming a sliver off any bottom that wobbles.
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    Ready when: Peppers stand upright without tipping and have no seeds left inside.

    Tip: Don't cut through the base. A hole will leak the filling and cooking liquid.

  2. Pre-bake the peppersOven 400°F / 205°C

    • Put the dish of empty peppers in the 400°F (200°C) oven for 12 minutes while you start the risotto.
    • This softens them slightly so they finish cooking at the same time as the rice.
    • Remove the dish and set it aside; leave the oven on.
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    Ready when: Pepper skins look slightly glossy and the walls have just begun to soften but still hold their shape.

    Tip: Set a timer. Over-baked peppers collapse when you try to fill them.

  3. Toast the pine nuts

    • Put the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
    • Stir or shake constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.
    • Tip them onto a plate right away to stop the cooking.
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    Ready when: Nuts are light golden brown and smell nutty and fragrant.

    Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds, so don't walk away.

  4. Soften onion and garlic

    • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the large skillet over medium heat.
    • Add the diced onion and a pinch of the salt, and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes.
    • Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds.
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    Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning; garlic smells fragrant but is not colored.

    Tip: If the onion starts to brown, lower the heat. Browned onion will make the risotto taste bitter.

  5. Toast rice, add wine

    • Add the arborio rice to the skillet and stir for 1 to 2 minutes so every grain is coated in oil.
    • Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.
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    Ready when: Rice edges look translucent with a white dot in the center, and the pan is nearly dry with no strong wine smell.

  6. Partially cook the risotto

    • Add the hot broth about ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, stirring often, and wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next.
    • Use all 2½ cups (600 ml).
    • This takes about 12 to 14 minutes.
    • Keep the heat at a gentle bubble.
    • The rice should be only part-cooked, because it will finish in the oven.
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    Ready when: The risotto is loose and creamy, and a grain bitten in half has a firm, chalky white center (about 70% cooked). A spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail that slowly closes.

    Tip: If the risotto looks dry before all the broth is used, add a splash of hot water. Don't cook it to fully tender or the baked rice will turn mushy.

  7. Mix in the flavorings

    • Remove the skillet from the heat.
    • Stir in the diced tomatoes, parsley, half of the toasted pine nuts (about 3 tbsp), ½ cup Parmesan, lemon juice, remaining salt and the pepper.
    • Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
    • The mixture should be creamy and slightly wet.
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    Ready when: Filling is evenly speckled with tomato and herbs and holds in a loose mound on a spoon.

    Tip: Save the remaining pine nuts for serving so they stay crisp.

  8. Fill the peppers

    • Pour the ½ cup (120 ml) hot broth into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers.
    • Spoon the risotto into the peppers, mounding it slightly.
    • Use about 1 heaping cup (230 g) per pepper and don't pack it down, since the rice needs room to expand.
    • Set the reserved tops loosely on the peppers like lids, or tuck them in the dish beside them.
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    Ready when: Peppers are filled to just above the rim and stand snugly against each other.

    Tip: Packing the rice tightly makes the centers gummy and undercooked.

  9. Bake coveredOven 400°F / 205°C

    • Cover the dish tightly with foil.
    • Bake in the 400°F (200°C) oven for 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
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    Ready when: A paring knife slides easily into the pepper wall, and a taste of the rice shows it's nearly tender.

    Tip: Don't lift the foil early. Escaping steam slows the rice.

  10. Top and brownOven 400°F / 205°C

    • Remove the foil and sprinkle the peppers with ¼ cup Parmesan.
    • Bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes more.
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    Ready when: The cheese is golden brown, the filling is creamy but not soupy, and the rice is tender with no chalky center.

    Tip: If the rice is still firm but the liquid is gone, add 2 tbsp hot water to the dish, re-cover, and bake 5 more minutes.

  11. Rest and serve

    • Let the peppers rest in the dish for 5 minutes so the filling sets slightly.
    • Scatter with the remaining toasted pine nuts and extra chopped parsley.
    • Serve with a spoonful of the pan juices over each pepper.
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    Ready when: Pan juices stop bubbling and the filling is creamy but holds its shape.

Good to know

Tips
  • Use arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano. Long-grain or converted rice won't turn creamy.
  • Seeding the tomatoes keeps the filling from getting watery.
  • Pick peppers of similar size so they all finish baking at the same time.
  • For a vegan version, use olive oil in place of cheese and add 2 tbsp nutritional yeast to the filling.
Make ahead

"Make the risotto filling through step 7, cool it completely, and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day. Fill cold peppers (pre-baked as in step 2) and add 5 to 8 minutes to the covered baking time."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered with foil at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes (30 to 35 from frozen-thawed peppers), or microwave a single pepper for 2 to 3 minutes, with a splash of broth."

Substitutions
  • pine nuts → Sliced or chopped almonds, or chopped pistachios. Toast the same way; they are less buttery but just as crunchy.
  • Parmesan cheese → Pecorino Romano or a vegetarian hard cheese. Traditional Parmesan contains animal rennet. Pecorino is saltier, so reduce the added salt to ½ tsp.
  • dry white wine → Additional vegetable broth plus 1 tsp white wine vinegar. Use ½ cup (120 ml) broth, and cook until absorbed.
  • Parmesan cheese → Fresh breadcrumbs mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil. Gives a crunchier, dairy-free top.
bakedgluten-freemake-aheadmediterraneanpine nutsrisottostuffed peppersvegetarian

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