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These Spicy Pesto Cheese Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers are best for nights when you’re craving Italian, but want to keep things healthy, delicious, and summery too! Roasted red peppers stuffed with a spicy, herby, tomato sauce that’s full of fresh zucchini and topped with pesto swirled ricotta cheese. This is a great way to use summer produce and each pepper is cheesy and so delicious.
Developing recipes is such an interesting process for me. No recipe development is ever the same and its inspiration is always different. I get most of my ideas from things like family and travel. Or a pretty color palette that I want to take from a photo and recreate with fresh food.
Other times it’s old memories of dishes I ate as a kid. And sometimes, a recipe will just happen randomly as I am cooking. I’ll swap this for that, add a little of this, and then do something totally random…like top roasted red peppers with pepperoni (I know it’s weird, but I promise it’s so good).
The times when recipes come together randomly as I’m cooking away are usually the recipes I love most. And that is most certainly the case with these peppers.
Here are the details – start with the peppers
You can use any color bell pepper for this recipe or even poblano peppers. But I love red peppers, so that’s what I use most often.
Start by pre-roasting the peppers over an open flame on a gas burner. Char the peppers just lightly to give them a nice flavor. Then transfer the pepper to a bowl, cover the bowl, and let the peppers steam while you make the sauce.
If you don’t have a gas burner, put the peppers under the broiler, but watch them closely. The broiler works very quickly.
Make the red sauce
I kept this very simple, using canned tomatoes, fresh oregano, and thyme. I did add a special ingredient – spicy Italian chicken sausage (though you could also use ground chicken).
Of course, if you’re vegetarian or just going for a meatless Monday theme, you can easily omit the sausage. Just double up on the zucchini. I’d also recommend adding some fresh garlic and a touch more crushed red pepper flakes. This will keep the sauce flavorful and on the spicy side.
Either way, with or without the sausage it’s going to be great, so do what works for you!
Now we assemble…
First, mix the ricotta cheese with the pesto.
Then add the pepper halves to a baking dish with a bit more tomato sauce. Then stuff them with the spicy meat sauce, a dollop of pesto swirled ricotta, and finish with mozzarella and pepperoni.
And I know, the pepperoni is different. But my dad used to top his pasta dish with pepperoni and it was so, so good. I did the same here, and again…so, so good.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is all bubbly and top with more pesto and basil!
Then just serve these up! They’re great with a loaf of crusty bread on the side, or even with your favorite pasta.
If I could best describe this dish, I would say that it’s kind of like a pizza stuffed red pepper.
I’m usually all about the carbs. But these cheesy peppers are surprisingly filling. And when served with bread plus a salad…well, they make for the perfect dinner!
Looking for other dinner recipes? Here are some favorites:
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers with Lemony Basil Tomatoes
Cauliflower and Cheese with Spicy Breadcrumbs
30 Minute Cajun Butter Steak and Peppers
Lastly, if you make these Spicy Pesto Cheese Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Pesto Cheese Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 711 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3-4 red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
- 1 zucchini or yellow summer squash, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 3/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup pepperoni slices (optional)
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Place the peppers over an open flame on a gas burner and lightly char, turning 2-3 times for 3-4 minutes. Don't blacken them, just a light char. Alternately, you can place the peppers under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, watch closely. 2. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with a plate. Let steam 10 minutes, then slice the peppers in half and discard the seeds. 3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken sausage and zucchini, cook until the meat is browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the oregano, thyme, 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. 4. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, fontina, and pesto. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 5. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange the peppers in the baking dish and stuff with the meat sauce, then add a dollop of pesto ricotta. Add the mozzarella and pepperoni (if using).6. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned on top. Serve with pesto, basil, and thyme. Enjoy!
This is the second time making this recipe everybody loved it again. I used Italian sausage this time and turned out excellent. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Hey Derek,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback!! 🙂
LOVED this recipe so much!! So much flavor!! I subbed cottage cheese for ricotta and just used some other cheeses I had on hand, and it worked perfectly.
Thank you!!
Brittani,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
This dish is Amazing! We loved the filling so much, we are going to try making a lasagna with it.
Hey Shai,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This recipe will go to our growing pile of HBH favorites. I couldn’t find the sausage I would have preferred so I will be on the hunt for that for next time. This is truly delicious, very gooey and cheesy.
Hey Michele,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner. Thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made these for family dinner and everyone LOVED them. The pepperoni on top added a depth of flavor that I never knew I needed! Will definitely be making these again. Xx
Hey Briana,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this and loved it! Would it be possible to turn into a freezer meal?
Hey Lindsey,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Yes, just cover and freeze before baking. xTieghan
So tasteful!! Made this for lunch today under our fall weather here in Mont-Tremblant (53 F this morning).
Hey there,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I had a slight fail with this – not the recipe fault though. I didn’t do a great job with the peppers so it all fell apart in the end but HOLY awesome it tasted wonderful. We also took the leftovers and mixed it with capellini the next day.
Hey Tracy,
Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
These were great! I used turkey Italian sausage, but kept everything else the same. I doubled it since I was cooking for a large crowd. I’m very excited for my lunch leftovers. I had a lot of the ricotta mixture leftover, too, so I will have to come up with a way to use it.
The peepers are great. Delicious week night meal.
Hey Shannon,
Fantastic! Love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Hey Katie,
Happy Friday! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks a lot for making it. xTieghan
This was really delicious. I was never a big fan of stuffed peppers, but your idea of roasting them made me quickly change my outlook. Superb! Thank you as always for great recipes.
Hey Molly,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made these for my family tonight – including one vegetarian without the sausage/pepperoni. Everyone loved them!! Thank you!
Hey Jen,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
This was fun to make and so satisfying to eat! I did have alot of the ricotta mixture leftover though. I used 3 whole fairly large peppers (so had 6 halves)…but no worries as I will re-purpose and make lasagna roll-ups! And I am so happy that I found you! I LOVE your recipes! I also recently made your Thai Peanut Chicken with Spicy Lime Mango ! Super hit with the Fam!
Hey Susan,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
I made these tonight and they were sooooo good! I would rather eat this than a pizza any day! I wanted to keep eating and eating. Thank you again for all your amazing recipes. I make one of your recipes almost every week ❤
Hey Kate,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
So delicious!!! This and the zucchini ravioli the best!!!❤️ Quick and easy too!
Hey Kathy,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
This was just amazing and even better the next day. So easy to prepare and worth every minute. At first I thought pepperoni was going to be an overkill but it was really perfect with it. I would mention that with the right skillet, this could be prepared and baked in one pan – always looking for ways so save washing dishes.
Hey Ginger,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Any tips on not getting soggy peppers?? I made it and it was DELICIOUS but my peppers didn’t hold their shape after steaming.
Hey Rachel,
The peppers should be pretty soft after baking…what do you mean by steaming? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I think she means in step 2, where it says to cover the peppers in a bowl to let them steam.