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These herby ricotta stuffed peppers taste straight out of Tuscany with fresh herbs, creamy ricotta, and sharp parmesan. Ready in under an hour (with minimal hands-on time), they’re a simple side dish that packs a punch of flavor.
save this recipe!For someone who loves Italy and Italian food, the need to have good Italian recipes on Live Eat Learn is strong!
We have Bruschetta Pizza and Classic Panzanella among some of the most popular ones, but these herby stuffed ricotta peppers may take the cake as my personal favorite.
Reader rating
“This was so good and simple to make. I followed the recipe exactly. Definitely will be making this dish again” —Krista
You’ll have these on repeat
- Flavor, flavor, flavor. With 3 kinds of cheese and so many herbs, these just have so much flavor and I want to scream it from the rooftop!
- Toasty and crunchy yet creamy thanks to being topped with breadcrumbs that are toasted to perfection.
- Quick and pretty which is ideal if you are feeding guests. The stuffed peppers only take 35 minutes but people will be oohing and awing over them!
recipe testing notes
Through testing this recipe many times, I’ve learned a few things. Here’s what you need to know:
- Pre-baking the peppers helps to release excess moisture from the peppers thus preventing the filling from getting soggy.
- Adding an egg to the filling ensures the cheese mixture thickens enough so while its not *necessary* taste wise, it is for texture.
- Topping with breadcrumbs makes all the difference because it adds that contrast of textures we are all after in the perfect bite!
Pairing ideas
- Enjoy them with Creamy Gnocchi Soup to have a complete meal.
- Make a Summer Veggie Salad to complement these cheesy peppers.
P.S. Try my unstuffed pepper casserole next! It’s a fuss-free Tex Mex take on stuffed peppers.
Herby Ricotta Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
Pepper
- 4 bell peppers, any color
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
Filling
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 15-oz tub ricotta cheese, 425 g
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan, 56 g
- ½ cup sliced green onions, about 4 green onions
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley, aka Italian parsley
- 1 tsp each dried rosemary, dried thyme, fennel seed, and salt, roughly smash the fennel seeds to release their flavor
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 large eggs
Topping
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut 4 bell peppers in half lengthwise, removing seeds and ribs. Set peppers cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush all over with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until they begin to soften. When finished, drain the water out of each pepper and reduce oven temperature to 350°F (176°C).
- Mix: Meanwhile, microwave 4 cups fresh spinach for 15 to 30 seconds, or until wilted down. Roughly chop, then combine it in a large bowl with all remaining Filling ingredients.
- Stuff: Fill peppers evenly with the ricotta mixture.
- Topping: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup breadcrumbs and 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle this evenly over the peppers.
- Bake: Return peppers to oven and bake for 30 minutes. If the tops aren't golden brown at this point, turn on the broiler and let them brown, watching closely until they're done (it won't take more than a minute or two!)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Made this today with poblano peppers instead of bell peppers. Insanely delicious! A little bit of spice went so nice with all the fresh herbs selected from my herb garden. Don’t care for ricotta so I used cottage cheese instead. Wish i could post a photo!
Oh my gosh that sounds amazing, Gretchen! I’ll have to try those swaps!
Do you think cooked and drained ground beef could be added to this -like a lasagna type stuffed pepper? Thank you!
Yep! 🙂
This was really good! I added in gnocchi to the mix to make it more of a supper and the kids loved it! Will definitely make again!
What a fun addition! So happy to hear it was a hit! 😀
We enjoyed this recipe. It was a new and different way to eat stuffed peppers. I will make it again and next time will add more veggies or possibly some form of protein.
This recipe has way too much sodium. How can this be reduced without losing flavor?
Unfortunately the sodium is coming from the cheeses! You’d need to reduce the amount of cheese, and be sure to use low-sodium breadcrumbs.
I thought these might be a little rich but the ricotta and spinach make it light and fresh. I added a little left over cooked ground beef to the bottom of a few peppers for my husband and he loved them. Definitely a keeper for both of us!
Thank you
This was so good. I was surprised that there’s no garlic involved, but it’s not needed with all of that herby goodness! 🙂 Looking forward to making again.
Sounds delicious. Only cooking for 2 (I know I can cut recipe in half) Can these be frozen ?
I haven’t tried freezing these so I can’t say for sure, but would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
I can’t wait to try this! Just wondering if left overs can be frozen?
I actually haven’t tested freezing this one, but I do think it would work. I would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
For the nutrition facts, it says “Serving size: 1”. Does this mean that the recipe makes 1 serving and the nutrition is for the whole dish? Or is it for 1 stuffed pepper? I haven’t decided yet if I want to make this as is or try to partly mix/substitute soft tofu or cottage cheese for more protein, but either way I’d like to try this
This recipe serves 4 (so a serving is two pepper halves). Enjoy!
Wow! Absolutely wonderful. Even my 10 year old son approves! Thanks for sharing!
Love hearing this Heather, thanks for being here!