Orzo Stuffed Peppers

By Maria Lichty

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One of my favorite meals is Orzo Stuffed Peppers. We make stuffed peppers frequently in the summer because we can find the most beautiful sweet bell peppers at the farmers market for super cheap. The other day peppers were on sale so we decided to bring a little summer sunshine to our cold winter day by making orzo stuffed peppers for dinner.

We use yellow, orange, or red peppers and stuff them with orzo, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, and cheese. We like to use mozzarella cheese and Pecorino Romano. We put a little in the mix and sprinkle some on top of the peppers when they are almost finished baking. Stuffed peppers can be served as a side dish or main dish. We usually serve our stuffed peppers with a side salad and call it good. They are pretty filling. I try to not eat the entire pepper so I can have leftovers, but I am always licking my plate clean.I can’t help it, they are too tasty!

If you are looking for a new dinner idea, try Orzo Stuffed Peppers.

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Orzo Stuffed Peppers

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 28 ounce can can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cups orzo
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
  • 6 sweet bell peppers red, yellow, or orange

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 400ยฐ F.
  • 2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes. Stir in the spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
  • 3. Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and stir in the spinach mixture. Set aside.
  • 4. Meanwhile, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook for five minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked because it will finish cooking in the oven. Strain the orzo pasta, making sure you save the vegetable broth.
  • 5. Stir the orzo into the tomato spinach mixture. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil.
  • 6. Pour the vegetable broth into a 3-quart baking dish. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base so the peppers will stand up in the baking dish.
  • 7. Place the peppers in the baking dish and spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40- 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with additional cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes.
  • 8. Remove from the oven and let peppers sit for five minutes. Serve warm.

Have you tried this recipe?

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If you like these Orzo Stuffed Peppers, you might also like:

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Dad’s Stuffed Bell Peppers from Simply Recipes
Stuffed Peppers from This Week for Dinner

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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  1. Those look sooo good! I love orzo but dont ever make it. Your post reminds me how much I need to make it. Great recipe!

  2. I never really had stuffed peppers growing up, but I really enjoy them now. I can’t wait to try this version!

  3. These look fantastic! I wish my Josh was a pepper fan. In the meanwhile, I’ve been trying to find other vegetables to stuff as a substitute! So far, he likes squash best. Hope you’re doing well ๐Ÿ˜‰

  4. What a beautiful and delicious sounding vegetarian meal! A great idea for Meatless Mondays or any day of the week.

  5. Great recipe for vegetarian stuffed peppers! I actually photographed my SP recipe last week & now can link back to this one. When I finally get around to posting it ๐Ÿ˜‰

  6. I love stuffed peppers with orzo. The tiny pasta keeps the dish light which I love! Great recipe!

  7. I love making stuffed peppers with different types of pastas and grains – and that melted cheese on top looks killer!

    I can’t wait for pepper season around here.

  8. I love stuffed peppers and don’t enjoy them often enough – you’re right about making them in the summer with fresh peppers – can’t wait!

  9. This is one of my favorite dinners in the summer when I have more bell peppers in the garden than I know what to do with! It’s a great way to use ’em up! Can’t wait to try your version come July!

  10. I’ve got to try these! I love stuffed peppers. I usually go for the beef or lentil variety but now I have a new option. Your recipe sounds so good!

  11. Stuffed peppers are a wonderful creative outlet aren’t they? They’re as much fun to play with as mac and cheese and soup. Love this version. I love orzo and I can’t resist all of that cheesy goodness.

  12. I live in the Cayman Islands were its perpetual summer and I happened to pick up some lovely peppers at the farmers market this week. Thanks for giving me a tasty looking recipe to try tonight!

    psdeepdish.blogspot.com

  13. I’m a HUGE fan of stuffed peppers. I’ve never stuffed them with orzo though, and I’m definitely going to have to try it! I love orzo, so you’re combining 2 of my favorite things! YUM. Wait, I have a better idea—how about I just come over and you make me dinner? ๐Ÿ˜‰

  14. Orzo is one of the favorites in our house and stuffed peppers are very traditional in Serbian cuisine. Thanks for the inspiration – this would be a great light dinner for one of the busy nights:) In dishes like this one, not even my meat-loving husband notices the lack of animal protein:)

  15. I would certainly not be able to control myself around these peppers! The whole one would go straight into my belly all too quickly. Especially with a filling like that!

  16. We adore stuffed peppers, but sometimes get tired of the rice-stuffed versions. Stuffing them with orzo is a really nice change.

  17. These look absolutely delicious. My mom made us stuffed peppers all the time growing up! But never with orzo, I’m definitely going to give these a try!

  18. I make stuffed peppers all the time in the summer too! I love the yellow ones! These look so flavorful and delicious! Yum!!

  19. Lovely combination of flavors and a perfect meatless meal and one that even my carnivorous clan would eat!!

  20. this look delicious. There aren’t enough recipes for orzo and this just seems so tasty. Thank you so much for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. This recipe looks so healthy and delicious. I’m going to have to make this for me and my daughter soon (my hubby doesn’t like peppers…but I bet he’d like what’s in ’em!).

  22. I enjoy these in the summer time as well and I always love the vibrant colors of the peppers. The slightly browned cheese on top looks inviting too!

  23. I love all the ingredients of the stuffing, the orzo, the spinach the tomatoes and of course the cheese! I could eat this every day.

  24. The pictures are gorgeous! and these peppers looks delicious, the filling having such a great combination of flavours!

  25. Love orzo and Israeli couscous too interchangeably. Stuffed bell peppers many times with rice but never with orzo. Dish looks fresh and healthy!! btw stumbled you!

  26. These look lovely! I always get so many bell peppers from our CSA during the summer, so I will save this recipe so that I know what to make when I start to run out of ideas for all of those peppers!

  27. In India we stuff our peppers with anything and everything! We use potatoes, rice, chickpea flour n even paneer n meat but stuffing with orzo pasta sounds SO wonderful! next time I’m stuffing my bell peppers with some orzos ๐Ÿ™‚
    Thanks for sharing the recipe my frnd!

  28. My grandma used to cook alot with orzo when we were kids – it brings back memories! I love stuffed peppers, but I’ve never done them with orzo. Definitely something I will have to try next time peppers are on sale here!

  29. I needed one more dinner for my menu this week, when I remember you made this one. I think I’m going to try it. It looks delicious.

  30. This looks great Maria! Stuffing peppers is something I always forget to do. It’s a dinner that I really like, especially with that yummy filling!

  31. Maria and Josh, I just wanted to let you know that I made these last night and they were delicious! I halved the peppers the long way so that they laid flat more easily, and served them as a side dish to grilled chicken. Thanks for the recipe – it’s a keeper! ๐Ÿ™‚

  32. I’m making these tonight but substituting the orzo for brown rice (couldn’t find any in the supermarket!). How do these store for re-heating/how would you re-heat them? I’m planning on having them as leftovers later in the week.

  33. I love your recipe and make these all the time. I make mine Greek style. I use a package of feta cheese, zest of one lemon, juice of one lemon and crushed tomatoes instead of diced. I find the filling freezes well, so I make a double-batch of it and freeze half. These are not “your mother’s” stuffed peppers.