Peperoni imbottiti alla napoletana

The Neapolitan-style stuffed peppers are a dish full of flavor that encapsulates the colors and tastes typical of Southern Italy. Here is the traditional recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 peppers
• 300 grams of ground meat (mixed pork and beef)
• 50 grams of stale bread
• 50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Parsley to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Tomato passata to taste
• 100 grams of scamorza cheese (or other melting cheese) cut into cubes
• Capers (optional)
• Black olives (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the peppers thoroughly, cut off the top to remove the cap and set it aside. Remove the seeds and white inner parts.
2. In a large bowl, soak the stale bread in water until it softens, then squeeze out the excess water.
3. In the same bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, finely chopped garlic, chopped parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Blend all the ingredients until you achieve a uniform mixture.
4. Add the scamorza cheese cubes, capers, and chopped black olives to the filling if you decide to use them.
5. Fill the peppers with the meat mixture, reapply the cap, and position them upright in a baking dish slightly greased with extra virgin olive oil.
6. Pour some tomato passata and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil around the peppers. Optionally, add a pinch of salt to the passata.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 1 hour or until the peppers are soft and the surface is golden brown.
8. Serve the stuffed peppers hot, perhaps accompanied by homemade bread to enjoy the sauce.

Trivia

The recipe for Neapolitan-style stuffed peppers allows for various variants: for instance, some prefer to use breadcrumbs instead of stale bread, while others add raisins and pine nuts for a sweet and sour note. Each family has its personalized version that is passed down from generation to generation.