Bon Apetit Magazine seems to be on a mission to take classic recipes and create a “Best Of” version, which is worth keeping an eye on! I listened to a lengthy debate on their podcast on the criteria for the BEST lasagna recipe. My mouth was watering, but I probably won’t be making it, considering how long it would take (including washing all those pans.)
Now I have never made stuffed peppers, and my husband claims to have never eaten one, so this new version of theirs sounded like a worthy adventure. If you have a family favorite recipe for this, you probably won’t approve of these interesting spices. The recipe developer thinks the addition of chopped walnuts is his “secret weapon”; although I would label them optional.
This is a great make-ahead recipe; and is even better a couple of days later. Somehow all the spice seeps into the tomato juice, creating a flavorful sauce.
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
6 garlic cloves, finely choppped
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp.smoked paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb. ground beef (20% fat)
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/2 cup), divided
4 medium or 6 small bell peppers, any color
4 cups tomato juice (100% juice)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring often, until translucent and starting to brown, 10-15 minutes. Add walnuts, garlic, tomato paste, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, until combined and garlic is softened, 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until just slightly reduced, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix beef, pork, and remaining 1 tsp. salt with your hands in a large bowl. Fold in rice, raisins, and 1/4 cup cheese with a wooden spoon and mix well to combine. Add onion mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
(The recipe doesn’t tell you here to cut the tops off each pepper, but you obviously need to.) Carefully cut off bottoms of bell peppers to create a flat end so they can stand upright. Don’t shave off too much or the filling can leak out. Using a spoon, stuff peppers with meat mixture and fill to the top. Press down and pack peppers fully. Arrange peppers in a Dutch oven or baking dish. Pour tomato juice around them leaving about 1″ of peppers exposed.
Top stuffed peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese; season with pepper. Cover with foil and bake one hour. Uncover and continue to bake until peppers are tender and cheese is browned, about 30 minutes more. These can be made 2 or three days ahead. Cover and chill after baking. Reheat in a 350 degree oven covered, until heated through,around 30 minutes.
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