Herby Ricotta Stuffed Peppers (Printable)
Creamy herbed ricotta fills roasted bell peppers until golden — an easy, vegetarian, gluten-free main.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), halved and seeded
→ Cheese & Dairy
02 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
03 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1 large egg
→ Herbs & Aromatics
06 - 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Pantry Staples
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Optional Garnish
14 - Extra fresh herbs, for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold all pepper halves in a single layer.
02 - Arrange bell pepper halves in the prepared dish cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
03 - In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg, basil, parsley, chives, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix until smooth and well blended.
04 - Spoon the ricotta mixture evenly into each pepper half, dividing it among all halves. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon or spatula.
05 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes until the peppers begin to soften.
06 - Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the filling is set and the tops are lightly golden.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool slightly for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra fresh herbs if desired and serve warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The ricotta filling is impossibly creamy and picks up every bit of the fresh herbs and lemon zest, making each bite feel bright and comforting at once.
- It looks elegant enough for guests but honestly comes together with almost no effort, which is the best kind of recipe trick.
02 -
- If your ricotta is very wet, press it gently in a fine mesh sieve or spread it on paper towels for ten minutes, because soupy filling will make the peppers soggy and sad.
- Covering with foil for the first half of baking is not optional, it steams the peppers soft so they do not collapse into tough chewy shells while the filling overcooks.
03 -
- Choose peppers with flat bottoms so they stay upright in the baking dish without rolling over and spilling their filling.
- The lemon zest is the quiet hero here, never skip it because without that brightness the cheeses can taste heavy and one dimensional.