1 whole red bell pepper
1 whole yellow bell pepper
1-1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 cups chopped baby spinach
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 leaves of basil, julienned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Optional: 1 cup freshly steamed grain/starch such as white or brown rice, quinoa or couscous
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until they become soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and the garlic to the pan. Cook until the spinach has cooked down and the garlic becomes fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta and parmesan cheese. Once cooled, add the spinach mixture to the cheese and combine until the filling is uniform. Adjust seasoning as needed.
To prepare the peppers, cut them each in half from top to bottom, removing the seeds and the ribs. If necessary, cut the side of the pepper so they can lay flat without rolling around.
Lay each half pepper flat and stuff with spinach/ricotta mixture. Sprinkle each with more Parmesan cheese.
Arrange stuffed peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and carefully place them in the preheated oven.
Bake until the edges of the peppers become brown and the filling is golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Remove peppers from the oven and immediately sprinkle with more Parmesan and the julienned basil. Serve hot.
If you want to include a grain/starch, add it to the filling.
For more flavor and color, roast or sauté cherry tomatoes, chop them and include them in the filling.
