Pesto Peppers

Submitted by gailanng

"What to do...what to do with the abundance of garden sweet peppers? Prep is a breeze with this different kind of side with Italian flair. Adapted from Nick Stellino."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• olive oil
• 3 roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 3 tablespoons prepared pesto sauce
• 4 tablespoons chopped pitted Greek olives or 4 tablespoons sicilian black olives
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated freshly grated parimigiano reggiano asiago cheese (or more to taste) or 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
• fresh ground black pepper

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F Grease an 8 inch square baking dish.
2. Cut the peppers in half through the stem withou removing the stem. Remove the seeds and membrane and brush with the olive oil, inside and out. Place the pepper halves in the prepared baking dish, cut-side-up.
3. Toss the diced tomatoes with the pesto sauce. Fill the pepper halves with equal amounts of the tomatoes. Sprinkle the tops with the olives, bread crumbs, cheese and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, until the upper edges are charred and blistered and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.