Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Fill a large stock pot with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is heating, slice off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. If you need to, you can trim the bottoms of the peppers so that they will stand up straight.

Once the water comes to a boil, blanch the peppers for about two minutes, then remove them from the water, drain them and set them aside. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Saut the onions, celery and garlic in a little bit of oil until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside so that they have a chance to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with the egg, parsley and ¼ cup of the tomato pur e .

Add the cooked rice and the onion-celery-garlic mixture and combine until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. I find my bare hands are best for this. Season the mixture with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Carefully spoon the filling into the peppers and arrange them in a baking dish. You don't want to pack it in too tightly or it will be too dense. You can smooth the tops into a slightly rounded shape.

Stir the thyme leaves into the remaining tomato pure and pour the sauce into the dish and over the tops of the stuffed peppers.

Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 160F in the centers of the stuffed peppers.

Remove the dish from the oven, let the peppers cool for 5 minutes and serve.