Make your aperitivo more than good, but delicious! This recipe is good also ad appetizer, before a light meal. Here you are the “Rolled bell pepper delights”!

INGREDIENTS

• 6 red or yellow bell peppers (or a mix), cut into 1 inch wide strips (along the longest length, in order to have long strips)
• 1 lb. ground meat
• ¼ lb. mortadella
• ¼ lb. cooked ham
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• toothpicks
• extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).To make cutting the bell peppers into strips easier, you can first soften them by placing 2-3 at a time inside a small plastic bag and heating them up in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. The vapor that forms makes them soft and easier to cut and clean.
2. Prepare the meat filling by processing the mortadella and ham in a mixer or blender. Add to the ground meat in large bowl, then add the bread crumbs and egg. Mix well. Add salt and pepper.
3. Take some meat and spread it on the bell pepper strips with the back of a spoon. Take one end of the strip and roll up onto itself until you have a small roll. Fasten closed with one or two toothpicks.
4. Pour enough olive oil into a long tray to cover bottom. Place the rolled up bell peppers flat on one layer, close to each other (you should see the meat filling from the top and rolled up peppers). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops of rolls are slightly browned. Remove and let cool 10 minutes before serving. Also tasty served slightly warm. (source: tuscan recipes)

Learn many different appetizers with the Institute Galilei’s cooking courses!