Shake up the traditional lasagna package with these hearty Cheesy Lasagna Stuffed Peppers. The stuffed peppers are pretty and so fun to serve!
There’s just something about CHEESE that makes everyone happy. When melted, all gooey and chewy from the oven like in these lasagna stuffed peppers, its delicious playfulness is hard to resist.
In these stuffed peppers, you’ll find three different kinds of cheese that play fantastically together: mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta. At the base of the peppers you’ll find a mixture of ricotta and Parmesan, which adds a contrasting, creamy element to the boldness of the lasagna mixture’s marinara and Italian sausage. Then mozzarella is layered with the lasagna mixture and sprinkled over the top, ready for its moment under the broiler to show off its blistered beauty. And to finish the peppers off, a small wedge of Parmesan is grated over the top right before serving.
And while they might seem just a little bit fancy, these cheesy lasagna stuffed peppers are just as welcome for a weeknight meal as they are for a holiday gathering. Make these once, and I know you’ll be making them forever.
Cheesy Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
- 8 servings
- 2 halves
Ingredients
- 8 large bell peppers, sliced in half through the stem, seeds and ribs removed
- 6 oz. mafalda pasta (small lasagna noodles)
- 16 oz. mild Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups your favorite marinara sauce (I recommend Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Sauce, which has a little kick to it)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 to 2 oz. Parmesan cheese wedge
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place halved peppers on a large rimmed pan, cut side up. Roast for 30 minutes, or just until nicely softened. Remove from oven. Leave oven at 350° F.
- While peppers are roasting, cook mafalda pasta in salted water to just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Also, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and let it brown, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a spatula. When sausage is about half-way browned, add onion and garlic. Once sausage is browned and onion is softened, drain any excess oil from pan. Stir in marinara sauce, Italian herb mix, and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper. Fold in cooked pasta. Once thoroughly heated, turn off heat.
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, kosher salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
- Divide ricotta cheese mixture evenly into the bottoms of each of the roasted pepper halves, spreading just a bit. Top ricotta mixture with a layer of pasta/marinara mixture. Aim to use about half of the mixture, snuggling it into the nooks and crannies of the peppers. Then divide 4 ounces of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta/marinara mixture.
- Divide remaining pasta/marina mixture over the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella, dividing evenly among all the pepper halves. Tent very loosely with a large piece of foil, taking care to not let the foil touch the cheese – this will help any exposed noodles to not get hard and crunchy.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and place baking sheet about 8″ under broiler and broil until cheese is bubbly and golden and a bit blistered.
- Remove peppers from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. With a zester/grater, grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
