This is a perfect dinner for a Meatless Main Night: Stuffed Peppers with Orzo, Baby Spinach and Chickpeas.
Full of flavor, this dish leaves you satisfied without busting a gut. Praise the Lord.
Be sure to seed and pull out the membrane from your peppers once cutting off the tops.
I do not add a ton of salt to this dish as it contains salty cheeses: feta and parm. You could add crushed red pepper flakes to your stuffing mixture if you want a spicy kick. This is a great late summer recipe when bell peppers are in season.
Enjoy!
Stuffed Peppers with Chickpeas and Baby Spinach
Course: Main, SideCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium6
servings30
minutes1
hourIngredients
6 bell peppers, any color, tops sliced off and seeded
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
3/4 cup orzo
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp. basil, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add spinach. Cook for a minute or two, until wilted. Remove from heat Add chickpeas, basil and orzo. Toss. Add remaining Tbsp olive oil and cheeses. Stir together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff each pepper and stand in a roasting pan large enough to fit all of them. (I used a 12-inch-by-9-inch pan.)
- Top each pepper with 1/3 cup marinara sauce.
- Pour broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Cover roasting pan with lid, or aluminum if you do not have a lid.
- Roast for 45 minutes. Finished peppers should be tender.
- Serve with extra sauce and cheese, if desired.
