By Gennaro Contaldo – Prep/Cook time: 1hr, Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
½ onion (finely chopped)
¾ cup arborio rice
½ courgette (zucchini), cubed
½ aubergine (eggplant), cubed
2 tsp tomato purée (paste)
3 cups hot vegetable stock (preferably fresh, or use a stock cube)
30g Parmesan (grated)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large bell peppers
1 ball of mozzarella (about 125g), cubed
A handful of fresh mint leaves (torn)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the rice, ensuring each grain is coated with oil. Add the courgette, aubergine, and tomato purée, then pour in a little stock, stirring until absorbed. Gradually add the remaining stock, stirring continuously for 12–15 minutes, until the rice is still slightly firm. Remove from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, season to taste, and allow to cool slightly.
Slice the tops off the peppers, keeping the stems intact to create little ‘hats,’ and set them aside. Lightly oil a baking dish and place the peppers inside.
Half-fill each pepper with the risotto, add a few cubes of mozzarella and some mint, pressing them gently into the filling. Top with the remaining risotto and more mozzarella, pressing it in slightly. Place the ‘hats’ on the peppers, drizzle with a little olive oil, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving. They can also be enjoyed cold.
