Italian Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
• 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cooked Arborio or long-grain rice
• 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce (Rao's recommended), divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus whole leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 375°F. Blanch peppers 3 minutes in salted boiling water, drain upside down, and set aside.

2. 2

   Brown the sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 7 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces. Drain excess fat.

3. 3

   Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. 4

   Stir in the cooked rice, 1 cup of the marinara, and Parmesan. Simmer 3 minutes until glossy and thick.

5. 5

   Off heat, fold in the chopped basil and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.

6. 6

   Spread the remaining marinara across the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stand the peppers upright and fill each generously with the sausage mixture.

7. 7

   Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.

8. 8

   Uncover, top each pepper with the remaining mozzarella and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan, and bake 12 more minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden.

9. 9

   Rest 5 minutes. Spoon extra sauce over each pepper and finish with fresh basil leaves.