Bell Pepper Rolls

Bell pepper rolls are a colorful and flavorful dish that can be customized to taste. Here I propose a recipe with an Italian-style filling.

Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or green as preferred)
• 200 g of ricotta cheese
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 100 g of cooked or raw ham in slices
• Fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Breadcrumbs (optional)
• Capers or Taggiasca olives (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, and remove the seeds and white parts. Place the pepper halves under the oven grill until the skin begins to blacken and the walls soften. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel the peppers.

2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the grated Parmesan, a touch of salt and pepper, and finely chopped basil. If you wish to add more flavor, you can also include chopped capers or chopped Taggiasca olives.

3. On a cutting board, spread out the slices of cooked or raw ham and spread some of the ricotta mixture on top. If desired, you can also add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs on the ricotta mixture for extra texture.

4. Cut the roasted peppers into pieces as large as the ham and lay them on the ricotta filling.

5. Roll the ham around the pepper to form the roll. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.

6. Arrange the rolls in a lightly oiled baking dish and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 15-20 minutes or until golden.

7. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnishing with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.

Curiosity

Bell pepper rolls are a very versatile dish that can be easily adapted to become vegetarian by substituting the ham with grilled vegetables or thinly sliced and grilled zucchini before using them to wrap the ricotta.