Baked Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 tricolored bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/3 rounded cup chopped parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1½ cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wash peppers and dry. Cut off the tops and remove seeds/core, then carefully slice off just the very bottom of each pepper to create a flat surface. Don't cut off too much or the sauce will leak.
3. Spray a 9X13 cooking dish with cooking spray then place the peppers upright in the dish.
4. Cook the peppers, whole, for approximately 15 minutes. (This will result in al dente doneness. If you prefer your peppers to have a softer texture, cook 5–10 minutes longer.)
5. While the peppers are cooking in the oven, bring olive oil to medium heat in a large saucepan. Sauté chopped onions and olive oil for 3–5 minutes, then add garlic, and cook for another minute.
6. Add ground beef, salt, and pepper, red pepper flakes (optional), then sauté until cooked, about 5 more minutes. Add oregano, basil, 2 tbsp of the parsley, and marinara sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes.
7. In a small bowl combine ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, and 3 tbsp of the parsley.
8. As soon as the peppers have cooked for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven and reduce oven temp to 375°F.
9. Layer 2-3 tbsp of the meat mixture into each pepper. Add the ricotta layer next, dividing it equally among all 6 peppers. Then add another layer of meat sauce.
10. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and top each pepper with mozzarella. Bake uncovered 5-10 more minutes, until mozzarella is melted. Garnish with remaining chopped parsley and serve