Stuffed Peppers with Sausage and Gratinated Mashed Potatoes – Rosso e Velluto

La storia di questo piatto

This is a warm, homey Italian-style supper, not an ancient recipe: red, yellow and orange peppers filled with sausage and tomato, crowned with a Cheddar-kissed mash. It is the kind of single dish a kitchen invents out of generosity, where Italian herbs and a blanket of golden cheese meet at one table.

Ingredienti

• 12 g Salt (total, to taste across the steps)
• 2 g Black pepper (total, to taste across the steps)
• 50 ml Extra virgin olive oil (about 30 ml for sautéing and the baking dish, 20 ml for the salad dressing)
• 6 pieces Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange)
• 600 g Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 piece Medium onion
• 250 g Medium mushrooms
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 30 g Butter for the filling
• 2 teaspoons Italian dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
• 30 g Tomato paste
• 250 ml Tomato passata
• 2 g Sugar
• 80 g Mozzarella for the filling
• 4 pieces Medium potatoes
• 40 g Butter for the mashed potatoes
• 90 ml Warm milk
• 100 g Grated Cheddar
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 225 g Pizza-style mozzarella for topping (grated or diced, well drained)
• 50 g Grated Parmesan
• 200 g Iceberg lettuce
• 1 piece Cucumbers
• 200 g Cherry tomatoes
• 15 g Fresh parsley
• 1 piece Spring onion
• 15 ml Lemon juice
• 1 pinch Dried oregano

Preparazione

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C (conventional, middle rack). Rinse the peppers well under cold water. Carefully cut off the tops and set them aside: they'll be used for the filling. Hollow out the insides with your hands, removing the core and seeds, taking care not to pierce the walls. Make a small cut at the base, just enough so the pepper stands upright without wobbling. Finely chop the reserved tops.
2. Arrange the hollowed peppers in a baking dish lightly greased with a drizzle of oil and bake for 15 minutes, so the walls begin to soften. Meanwhile, get on with the rest. Once out of the oven, leave them in the dish and keep the oven on.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large, even pieces so they cook at the same time. Place them in a pot of cold, generously salted water: starting from cold helps them cook evenly. Raise the heat and, once the water boils, lower it to a gentle simmer. When a knife slides in without resistance and the pieces begin to lightly crumble at the edges, they're ready. Drain well and let the steam evaporate for a minute.
4. In a large, wide pan, place the sausage over medium-high heat. Don't touch it right away: let it brown and break into natural pieces as it cooks. Once it has fully changed colour, with no grey parts, transfer it to a bowl.
5. In the same pan, add a drizzle of oil and the chopped onion. Keep the heat at medium and stir occasionally: you'll smell the aroma rising and see the onion become translucent and soft. Add the chopped pepper tops and the mushrooms: they'll cook together, releasing their juices. The secret is to wait until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, so the flavours concentrate. You'll see the bottom of the pan dry out and begin to lightly brown.
6. Place 30 g of butter (the filling butter) in the centre of the pan, immediately add the chopped garlic and the Italian dried herbs. Stir constantly for a minute: the butter will melt in the heat and bring all the aromas together, creating a fragrance that tells you it's time to move on.
7. Add the tomato paste and mix well, letting it cook for a minute or two, until it loses its raw taste and darkens slightly. Pour in the tomato passata, taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the tomato is a little too acidic, a pinch of sugar will soften it without anyone noticing.
8. Return the sausage to the sauce and mix well, lowering the heat to medium-low. Let everything cook together for a few minutes: you'll see the sauce thicken slightly and become darker and deeper, a sign that the flavours have married.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and add the diced mozzarella, stirring gently so it melts in the residual heat without stringing apart. Taste: now is the time to adjust salt and pepper, so that every spoonful is perfect.
10. While the potatoes are still hot, mash them energetically with 40 g of butter (the mashed potato butter) and the milk you've warmed. Add the grated Cheddar, a light dusting of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until you obtain a creamy yet firm purée: it should hold its shape on the filling without sliding off.
11. Fill the partially cooked peppers with the sausage and tomato filling, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to about 1 cm from the rim. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top as a topping, forming a soft mound that closes the filling.
12. Take a fork and draw lines across the surface of the mashed potatoes, creating small decorative striations. In the oven they will become crisp and golden, giving a pleasing texture.
13. Place the peppers in the baking dish, without crowding them: they should have some space around them. Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 190 °C on the middle rack for 20 minutes.
14. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the grated or well-drained diced mozzarella and a light rain of Parmesan. Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes: wait until the cheese melts and begins to brown at the edges, creating that crust everyone loves.
15. If you want an even more golden crust, switch on the grill for 1-2 minutes. Stay close: cheese burns quickly, and you only want a honey colour, not black.
16. While the peppers are gratinating, prepare the salad. Wash and dry the lettuce carefully, since excess moisture makes it soggy. Slice the cucumbers thinly, halve the cherry tomatoes, chop the fresh parsley and slice the spring onion into thin rounds. Place everything in a large bowl, without dressing it yet.
17. Prepare the dressing: pour 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil, the fresh lemon juice, a pinch of salt, pepper and a pinch of oregano into a jar with a lid. Seal tightly and shake vigorously for a few seconds: oil and lemon will lightly emulsify and become creamy.
18. Take the peppers out of the oven and let them rest for 5-10 minutes: they will release some steam and be easier to handle and even tastier. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Place a stuffed pepper on the plate with the fresh salad alongside, ready to complete each bite.