Nothing brings back childhood memories for me like stuffed peppers! These Italian stuffed peppers braised in tomato sauce are just soft enough and filled with a flavor-packed ground beef and rice mixture.
If you're looking for more classic Italian staples, check out our Chicken Francese, Chicken Saltimbocca, Chicken Pizzaiola, Authentic Bolognese, Italian Short Ribs with Gnocchi, or Sausage and Peppers.
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Italian Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Sauce
- ⏲️Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 👪Makes: 8 peppers
- 📋Main ingredients: Peppers, Ground beef, crushed tomatoes.
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: These Italian stuffed peppers are perfect for people looking for a saucy stuffing and an al dente pepper braised in a tomato sauce!
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Why This Recipe
Italian Stuffed Peppers are not just a classic; they are the perfect family meal. It has something that everyone will eat. My kids love to eat the saucy stuffing, while my wife and I enjoy the whole stuffed pepper. I love stuffing vegetables, so if you love stuffed peppers, try our Baked Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms or Easy Italian Stuffed Artichokes.
- Make stuffed peppers in tomato sauce instead of just a pan of water, because you'll have extra sauce to serve over the peppers
- The sauce and water also help create the perfect texture for the peppers. Water alone makes the peppers wilt and soften, but the combination of sauce and water makes for a softened pepper, still leaving a bite.
- They make for a really easy meal plan because they're delicious leftovers (some might say they're even better the next day).
The best part about stuffed peppers is that they can be the whole meal. These Italian stuffed peppers are made from an Italian soffrito, and the stuffing is combined with parmigiana for a nice creamy texture, similar to how we make Rice Dressing with Sausage!
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Peppers- I like to use an assortment of colors, mostly as an aesthetic feature of the dish. Use whichever color pepper you prefer.
- Whole Plum Tomatoes- I prefer to use canned whole plum tomatoes. It's a texture thing for me, but you can substitute crushed tomatoes if that's what you have. I just hand-crush or use an immersion blender to blend my tomatoes, or use leftover Marinara Sauce!
- White Rice- I use jasmine rice because it's done in 15 minutes.
- Ground Beef- I like to use ground beef or a 50/50 combination of ground beef and ground sausage with our Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning, similar to Italian Meatloaf. I'm not particularly fond of substituting ground turkey or chicken because it will be a lot drier, but it does work.
- Parmigiana- Adding parmigiana to the stuffing helps it become creamier and binds it together.
- Tomato paste- Tomato paste will help thicken the sauce slightly.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
How to Make Italian Stuffed Peppers
Step 1: Bring a large saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil, and once shimmering, add onion and carrot. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
Step 2: Then stir in garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Step 3: Separate ground beef into pieces and add to the saucepan. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon.
Step 4: Stir the ground beef occasionally until it is mostly browned.
Step 5: Combine the tomato paste with the ground beef until there is no more pink remaining.
Step 6: Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 25 minutes.
Step 7: While the sauce is cooking, make the white rice as directed on the package and set it aside.
Step 8: Remove the sauce from the heat. Combine the cooked white rice and parmigiana with the sauce in the pan.
Step 9: Cut open the peppers as shown in PHOTO 9. Remove the top of the pepper and cut it in half.
Step 10: Preheat oven to 375℉. Pour the remaining ¼ of the crushed tomatoes into the baking pan with ½ cup of water.
Step 11: Stuff the half peppers with the stuffing from the pan. Then place the peppers in the baking pan with the tomato sauce.
Step 12: Cover the stuffed peppers in mozzarella. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and begins to get a light golden color.
Remove Italian stuffed peppers from the oven and serve with spoonfuls of extra tomato sauce on top! Serve with something light and Italian on the side, like a Traditional Panzanella Salad or Caesar salad with Traditional Caesar Dressing!
Pro-Tips
- You can shape the bottom of the bell pepper with a knife to help it stand easily.
- I like a little bite to my pepper. If you want them softer, leave them in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
- I can never eat all of the tomato sauce just with the stuffed peppers, but sometimes the next day I'll use it to make some pasta.
FAQs about Italian Stuffed Peppers
Save stuffed peppers in an airtight container for 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave.
There are all sorts of combinations of meats you can make stuffed peppers, whether it's a creamy lasagna mixture, Mexican rice and beans, or whatever your favorite might be. We like our Italian version the best.
No, but cutting them in half makes them cook quicker, and you get more mozzarella cheese on more surface area. It also makes them much easier to reheat.
Yes, make your stuffing and stuff your peppers. Place them in the baking pan and cover them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days before cooking.
Serving Suggestions
- Salads- Italian Stuffed Peppers are a whole meal unto themselves, but they can be served with some light salads like Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad or Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad!
- Serving for Holidays- But if we're making them during the holidays, we usually serve them in halves with a tray of Authentic Italian Lasagna and a tray of Eggplant Parmesan!
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Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Italian Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 bell peppers
- 2 lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes (Save ¼ for the pan)
- 1-2 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup parmigiana cheese
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley with some extra for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil, and once shimmering, add onion and carrot. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Then stir in garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Separate ground beef into pieces and add to the saucepan. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon. Stir the ground beef occasionally until it is mostly browned about 6-8 minutes.
- Combine the tomato paste with the ground beef until there is no more pink remaining. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 25 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, make the white rice as directed on the package and set it aside.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Combine the cooked white rice and parmigiana with the sauce in the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare the peppers by slicing off the tops and cutting the peppers in half. Remove any seeds from the inside of the pepper.
- Pour the remaining ¼ of the crushed tomatoes into the baking pan with ½ cup of water. Stuff the half peppers with the stuffing from the pan. Then place the peppers in the baking pan with the tomato sauce.
- Cover the stuffed peppers in mozzarella. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and begins to get a light golden color.
Video
Notes
- You can shape the bottom of the bell pepper with a knife to help it stand easily.
- I like a little bite to my pepper. If you want them softer, leave them in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
- I can never eat all of the tomato sauce just with the stuffed peppers, but sometimes the next day I'll use it to make some pasta.
Vinny says
Stuffed peppers have always been a family favorite and I know you'll enjoy this delicious recipe!