Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Skillet (Printable version)
One-pan cheesy pasta with bell peppers, seasoned meat, tomatoes and melted mozzarella, ready in 45 minutes.
# What you need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 large bell peppers (red and/or green), diced
02 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Meat
04 - 1 lb ground beef or turkey
→ Pantry
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 8 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or shells)
10 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Dairy
14 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
16 - Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (optional)
# How To:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef or turkey to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes with juice, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
05 - Pour in the pasta and broth. Stir to combine, ensuring pasta is covered with liquid as much as possible.
06 - Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
07 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the skillet. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil before serving, if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything cooks in one skillet which means cleanup is almost laughably easy for a weeknight meal.
- The pasta soaks up the tomato broth as it cooks so every bite is packed with the flavor of stuffed peppers without any stuffing work.
02 -
- Stir the pasta occasionally while it simmers because it will stick to the bottom if left alone for too long.
- Do not lift the lid constantly while the cheese melts because the trapped steam is what makes it gooey and perfect.
03 -
- Salt the pasta water even though there is no pasta water, because salting the broth mixture generously before simmering gives the same effect and seasons the noodles from the inside out.
- Shred your own cheese from a block instead of using pre shredded bags because the anti caking powders on bagged cheese prevent it from melting smoothly.