Italian Sausage-Stuffed Peppers with Provolone

One bite and you'll instantly know these are not your typical, run-of-the-mill stuffed peppers. They are so good, you can count on being asked to make them again.

Recipe Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup orzo pasta*
12 ounces fresh Italian sausage, either hot or mild
1 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 cups shredded Wisconsin Provolone Cheese
8 large fresh whole red peppers, tops sliced off and seeded
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons homemade or purchased basil pesto

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Bring water to a boil in a large, deep pot. Add salt and orzo. Boil for 9 minutes. Drain in wire sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Set aside.
3. Removed sausage from casings, if necessary, and break into small pieces. Sauté over medium high heat until browned and barely cooked through. Add chopped red peppers. Remove from heat and stir in orzo and cheese until cheese melts. Cool.
4. Coat a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
5. Stuff sausage-orzo mixture into prepared whole peppers and place peppers upright in the pan.
6. Mix bread crumbs and pesto together and spread evenly over top of the stuffed peppers.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the surface is lightly browned.
8. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

*Orzo is a dried pasta, shaped like short-grain rice.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.