These delicious roasted red bell peppers are filled with an orzo salad of olives, capers and lots of fresh herbs; they are the ideal end of summer / beginning of fall dish.
One of my favourite dishes (and certainly my favourite summer dish) is gemista, chubby tomatoes & bell peppers stuffed with rice (or bulgur) and herbs and baked until soft, bubbly and delicious. It really is a quintessential Greek summer dish and though I never tire of it, this time I combined it with another favourite of mine, orzo. Tough very often used in Greek cooking, orzo seems widely overlooked elsewhere. It is a delicious minuscule pasta, which tastes delicious both straight of the oven and at room temperature. It’s also great tossed with vegetables, which is why I’ve decided to stuff my peppers with a very summery orzo pasta salad: juicy cherry tomatoes, which I’m never without in the summer months, red onion, lots of herbs, and a few of my favourite Oliveology products: black Kalamata olives and artichokes, all dressed in white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and finished off with homemade golden oregano breadcrumbs.
Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo Salad
WHAT
4 red bell peppers, halved, seeds discarded
4 garlic cloves (skin on)
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 small red onion, diced
about 15 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on their size
1/2 bunch of dill, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch of mint roughly chopped
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives
1/2 cup jared artichokes, whole or roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons while balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup aged feta, crumbled
sea salt flakes (optional)
Homemade breadcrumbs:
3 slices stale bread
1/2-1 teaspoon dried oregano
zest from 1/2 lemon
a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
big pinch of salt
HOW
For the breadcrumbs: Put the bread in a food processor & pulse until you have thick breadcrumbs; toss with the oregano and lemon zest and add to a hot pan, along with a good drizzle of olive oil. Cook over medium heat for about 7’, or until golden. Remove from the heat, add a good pinch of sea salt flakes and set aside until ready to use. (You can store any leftovers in a jar for up to a week).
Preheat the oven to 200C (180 Fan); place the peppers & garlic on a baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil, add a good pinch of salt and bake for about 20’ or until soft, but still holding their shape.
Meanwhile, cook the orzo in plenty of salted water for about 10’, drain well and add about a tablespoon of olive oil; set aside to cool a little and then toss with the onion, tomatoes, herbs, capers, olives, artichokes, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and black pepper.
Take the peppers out of the oven and squeeze the garlic cloves off their skin; add to the orzo and toss again gently. Taste and scoop into the halved peppers, finishing off with feta crumbles, a light drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of the breadcrumbs.
For all the delicious Oliveology ingredients I used, have a look here. They really do make the dish sing!