Stuffed Italian Peppers (No Rice)

vegetarian Italian stuffed peppers in a white baking dish.

5 from 2 votes

Stuffed Italian Peppers (No Rice)

Vegetarian Stuffed Italian Peppers are packed with a hearty, savory filling and topped with crispy panko topping for a delicious dinner even meat lovers will devour. Great recipe for a fast, easy vegetarian weeknight dinner or meatless Monday meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Ingredients

4 bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups marinara sauce (divided)
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
4 cups chopped Tuscan kale
¼ cup sliced kalamata olives
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons pesto
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

To Serve

Additional pesto, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs

Instructions

Turn the oven to broil. Spray a 9X13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Cut the tops off of peppers, like a pumpkin. Cut each pepper in half and remove the membranes and seeds. Salt and pepper the insides of each pepper and turn them face-down on a sheet pan.
Broil peppers for about 5 minutes, or just until the flesh begins to blister. Turn the oven down to 425.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Saute until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium. Add one cup of tomato sauce, and simmer until slightly thickened, 5-10 minutes.
Stir in cannellini beans, artichokes, chopped kale, and olives. Stir and cook until the kale softens and everything comes together. Lightly mash some of the cannellini beans to thicken the sauce, if needed.
In a small bowl, stir ½ cup panko, 2 tablespoons pesto, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts.
Spread one cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Lay the peppers face-up on the tomato sauce. Fill peppers with the bean and artichoke mixture. Top each pepper with pesto panko bread crumbs.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bread crumb topping is golden brown. If the tops start to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
Serve with pesto, grated Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and crusty bread to sop up the savory sauce.

Notes

Cooking the peppers before stuffing them ensures that your stuffed Italian peppers will be soft, and not crunchy.
Broil the peppers to your desired level of doneness. I like the char, but you can remove them before that point.
If you're missing the gooey cheese, stir some into the bean mixture and add some before the breadcrumbs.

Nutrition