Stuffed Peppers in Tomato sauce with Purée

Oct 12
4 min read

Updated: Oct 15

## Delicious Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce and Purée

Stuffed Peppers in Tomato sauce with Purée

Delight in the exquisite aroma of Serbian-style stuffed peppers in tomato sauce with purée. As pepper season is upon us, I opted for a straightforward recipe with minimal ingredients. This version uses only ground beef, rice, and tomato juice, rather than a mix of ground meats. For those who enjoy spices, consider adding red ground sweet or hot pepper, basil, or celery leaf for an exceptional fragrance. Optionally, you can include chopped potatoes or dry meats like bacon between the layers of peppers. This dish makes for an ideal Sunday lunch, sure to satisfy the entire family. The preparation process is both quick and uncomplicated. Please review the notes at the end of the text before beginning. Follow the recipe closely.

Stuffed-Peppers-in-Tomato-sauce-with-Puree — **Stuffed Peppers in Tomato sauce** **with** **Purée**

Ingredients: simple, total time: 90 min., 6–8 servings

10 bell peppers (3 yellow medium +7 red big)/ washed, cleaned of seeds
3 Tbsp Olive oil EVO/ or fat to taste
1 medium onion/ finely chopped
1 kg beef minced meat
1 cup of rice / or 150 g
4 small cloves of garlic/ minced
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper to taste
600 ml tomato peeled / or 700 ml tomato juice
2-3 Tbsp fresh parsley/ finely chopped — divided
water as needed

For Purée:

2 big potatoes/ diced
water as needed
1. 5 tsp salt/ divided
130 ml milk
15 g butter

Preparation:

Prepare all the ingredients from the description above.

Filling:

Sauté the chopped onion in oil until it turns translucent.
Add the chopped garlic, allowing its aroma to develop, then incorporate the minced meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir occasionally for 5 minutes over low to moderate heat.
Once the meat releases its liquid, add the rice and stir briefly for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and mix. Set aside.
Using a small knife, carefully remove the stalks from the peppers in a circular motion and shake out the seeds. Rinse with water for thorough cleaning.
Fill the cleaned peppers with the prepared mixture using a small spoon, stuffing them to the tops, and then close with their stems.
Arrange the peppers upright in an appropriate pan, ensuring they do not lie horizontally. Cover with tomato sauce and add a little water, ensuring the sauce level remains two fingers below the tops of the peppers.
If any filling remains, add it to the pot with the peppers. Pour a small amount of water into the pan used for cooking the filling to collect any remnants, then pour this over the peppers.
Cook for approximately 80 minutes on low heat, partially covered, adding water as needed.
During cooking, add 150 ml of water three times. Ensure the liquid level in the pot reaches the top of the peppers but does not cover the stems.
The stuffed peppers are ready when they are slightly softened and a rich sauce has formed. For a thicker sauce, add one teaspoon of flour during cooking.
Monitor the liquid in the pot and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Finally, garnish with additional chopped parsley.
While the peppers are cooking, prepare the mashed potatoes. For purée, see the procedure here.
Serve warm, accompanied by a slice of bread. For an optional variation, consider pairing the peppers with mashed potatoes.

Buon appetito!

NOTE:

Instead of tomato peeled, you can use tomato concentrate as a substitute. Mix 3 spoons of tomato concentrate with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 500 ml of water.
You can also use tomato juice or organic tomatoes, but without the skin. You will easily remove the shell if you soak them for 10 minutes in hot water. Use 5-6 large tomatoes, preferably meat ones, and blend them well with a little water. Add the rest of the water later.
If you want a thicker sauce, add 1–2 teaspoons of flour mixed with a little water.
If you want a stronger taste, you can add in filling 1 flat spoon of ground sweet pepper or 1/2 a teaspoon of hot pepper if you like spicy.
You can also freeze stuffed peppers for up to 2 months. Pack in special boxes with lids.
Cover the rest of the peppers and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.