Ricotta Stuffed Peppers [Gluten Free]
These ricotta stuffed peppers are a great low carb option when you’re craving creamy pasta, but you want something a little lighter!
I love pasta, but sometimes I want to get in some extra vegetables. Zucchini noodles are a great option, but lately, I’ve been loving these ricotta-stuffed bell peppers!
Tips for Making Ricotta Stuffed Peppers
- Look for bell peppers that are on the smaller side. They’ll be easier to stuff and they’ll cook more evenly.
- I like to use whole milk ricotta because it’s creamier. If you’re looking for a lower fat option, you can use part-skim ricotta. I don’t recommend using fat free ricotta.
- Using quality pasta sauce is essential. Rao’s Tomato Basil is my personal favorite!
Cheesy Stuffed Peppers [Gluten Free]
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Pepper halves make a perfect swap for pasta shells in these cheesy dish!
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 handfuls of baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg
- 15 oz skim-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish (See note)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Dash black pepper
- 2 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add in the spinach and stir for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach begins to wilt slightly.
- Remove from heat.
- Slice the bell peppers and in half and remove the white membrane and seeds from the inside. These will be your “cups” for the cheese mixture.
- In a large bowl beat the egg slightly and then combine it with the ricotta cheese.
- Add in the mozzarella, parmesan, salt, basil, oregano and black pepper.
- In a large casserole dish, spread marinara sauce across the bottom.
- “Stuff” each of the peppers by dividing the cheese mixture evenly into each of the pepper halves.
- Spread out the pepper halves across the dish. (It’s fine if they’re touching, they just need to lay flat. If you’re also baking pasta shells, do these in a separate dish, as they will need less time to bake.)
- Use the rest of the marinara sauce to cover the peppers.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake for 5-10 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
- Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese and serve!
Notes
Freshly grated parmesan is so worth the extra effort! Ditch the jar of grated parmesan and grate some right off a block of parmesan. I promise it’s worth it!
Alex I had these for lunch and I packed up the leftovers for later in the week. They reheated quite well in the microwave!
Looking for other stuffed pepper ideas? Try these black bean and quinoa stuffed peppers or these lentil stuffed peppers! If you have leftover ricotta, try these spinach and ricotta lasagna cups!
I need this on my meal plan for next week! Just have to see if I can find some ricotta cheese. Last time I purchased some it was $12.00 for a small container 🙁
Yum! I’ve been on a cheese kick lately. It’s usually with pasta, but grilled cheese sandwiches are also a current indulgence.
Oh my gosh- grilled cheese & tomato soup = perfection.
i’m a fan of almost anything stuffed with cheese (aren’t we all?) but this looks super super good- and knowing you, probably pretty good for me too, right?
It is!! Lots of veggies! And ricotta has lots of protein 🙂
Ricotta is one cheese that I’ve never really used that much. This really does look delicious though. I love stuffed peppers.
These look delicious! I make stuffed peppers kind of frequently and I always experiment with what I put inside. My most recent favorite was a taco stuffed pepper with seasoned ground turkey, olives, cheese, spicy tomatoes and beans. I love ricotta so I will definitely try this next!
I love stuffed peppers, I often make a pot of risotto on a Sunday and then use it throughout the week. Stuffing it into peppers is one of my favourite things! I’ll have to try this!
Ohh I bet risotto stuffed peppers would be so good! I’ll have to try that next!
Omg I NEED to make stuffed bell peppers immediately! Yum.
Ricotta is one of my favorite cheeses. I would certainly eat these. Stuffed peppers are a great alternative and they are really (surprisingly) not complicated at all.
It is kind of crazy how easy it is!
If I were more active during the day then I could easily eat pasta for every meal! I love it but I can’t always justify needing that many carbs. Stuffed peppers are a great alternative and you’re right, they’re not really that complicated. Especially these. They look cheesy and simply delicious!
This is such a great idea! We love cheesy stuffed shells in my house, and cheesy stuffed peppers sound just as delicious! What a great way to get more veggies into a meal.