Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Hungarian Hot Peppers in Fresh Tomato Sauce

I love stuffed Hungarian hot peppers.  My old favorite was stuffing them with sausage, but since I wanted Zak to be able to enjoy these, I decided to try a version with ricotta and mushroom.  The filling here was really good.  The creamy ricotta paired well with the meaty mushrooms and salty Parmesan.  The salty little capers were a fun surprise.  The fresh flavors of the tomato sauce paired well with the cheesy filling and spicy peppers.  The anchovy and tomato paste added a nice depth of flavor.  I really enjoyed these, and they heat up great in the microwave as leftovers.

Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Hungarian Hot Peppers in Fresh Tomato Sauce

Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Hungarian Hot Peppers:

6 Hungarian hot peppers

2-3 tbs. olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup white button mushrooms, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 can oyster mushrooms, drained and roughly chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan, grated

1 egg, beaten

1 tbs. capers

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325º.

Carefully cut around 3/4 of the top of the peppers, leaving a small portion attached.  Cut a slit lengthwise down 3/4 of the length of the peppers, running perpendicular to the cut around the top of the peppers.  Carefully remove all seeds and, if desired, cut out the ribs of the peppers.  Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until cooked through and lightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.

Transfer mushrooms, ricotta, beaten egg, and seasonings to a small bowl.  Mix thoroughly.  Using a spoon, fill the prepared peppers with 2-3 tbs. of the filling until stuffed.

Spray a Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of the fresh tomato sauce (see below) on the bottom of the pan.  Place peppers in the bottom of the Dutch oven, layering if necessary.  Cover with remaining sauce.  Cover.

Transfer to oven and cook 30-35 minutes until peppers are tender and filling has set.  Serve with bread.

Fresh Tomato Sauce:

1 very large yellow beefsteak tomato, roughly chopped

1/2 cup heirloom cherry and grape tomatoes, halved

3 anchovy fillets

2-3 tbs. olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 tbs. fresh basil, finely chopped

1/3 cup white wine

1 tbs. tomato paste

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Add olive oil to the bottom of a medium sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook about a minute until fragrant.  Add tomatoes and mash with a hand masher until mostly smooth.  Add anchovy, basil, white wine, and tomato paste.  Stir and simmer over medium heat until reduced to sauce like consistency, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.