When a recipe calls for less than a handful of ingredients, requires about 10 minutes of work, and delivers amazing satisfaction, it becomes a favorite in our kitchen. That’s exactly the case for these stuffed peppers.
Most stuffed peppers feature heavy meat or rice stuffings, and are often bathed in tomato sauce. I’ve never much loved these, and neither does my husband. The inspiration for this dish came to me during Hurricane Sandy, when we had to finish off whatever was left in the refrigerator quickly. You can hold them in a roasting pan for 12 hours or so before roasting; they are an ideal make-ahead dish for entertaining, and depending on the rest of your menu, they can either serve as the main course or side dish. I’ve served the peppers reheated the next day too, and they are almost as good.
When selecting chorizo, look for the cured Spanish variety; we buy Palacios chorizo, which is all natural and imported from Spain. The fresh Mexican chorizo is too vinegary and crumbly for this dish.
Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling the roasting pan
- 1 pound fresh whole-milk Ricotta
- 1/4 pound Spanish chorizo, casing removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 poblano peppers, halved, stemmed, and seeded
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). Lightly oil a roasting pan large enough to accommodate all the peppers.
In a medium bowl, combine the Ricotta, chorizo, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Arrange the pepper halves in the oiled roasting pan.
Scoop the Ricotta mixture into the pepper halves and spread evenly to fill. Drizzle the top with the olive oil and roast in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden on top. If the cheese filling browns too much before the peppers are soft, cover with aluminum foil, then uncover during the last few minutes of roasting to evaporate excess moisture. Serve hot or warm.