Bell Pepper Rolls with Goat Cheese Heart

17/11/2023

Bell pepper rolls with a goat cheese heart are a delicious appetizer that combines the sweetness of roasted bell peppers with the bold and creamy flavor of goat cheese. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

2 large bell peppers (red and yellow for a colorful dish)
200 g of goat cheese
Fresh basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Pitted black olives (optional)
Salted capers (optional)

Preparation

Start by roasting the bell peppers. You can do this in an oven at 200 °C until the skin turns black and peels off easily, or directly over the stove flame for a smokier flavor.
Once roasted, put the bell peppers in a sealed plastic bag or in a bowl covered with cling film to let them “sweat” – this will make peeling the skin even easier.
After about 15 minutes, gently peel them, remove the seeds and cut the bell peppers into strips about 5 cm wide.
In a bowl, mix the goat cheese with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and hand-torn basil leaves until the mixture is uniform and spreadable.
Spread some of the basil-flavored goat cheese on each pepper strip and roll them up to form rolls.
If desired, you can garnish each roll with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar for a touch of tartness, some chopped black olives or a couple of rinsed and desalted capers to counteract the sweetness of the pepper and the creaminess of the cheese.
Arrange the rolls on a serving plate and serve.

Bell pepper rolls with goat cheese heart can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed. They are a great idea for a light but tasty appetizer and are also suitable as colorful finger food for an aperitif or a buffet.

Curiosity

In Italy, bell pepper rolls are a fairly common dish at parties and buffets. The variant with goat cheese is particularly appreciated for the contrast of flavors and its simplicity of preparation. Moreover, bell peppers are vegetables widely used in Mediterranean cuisine for their sweet flavor and versatility.