Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

I absolutely love bell peppers (well, as long as they're not the green colored ones) and when I received the cookbook Giada's Kitchen this past Christmas, I knew I had to try out her recipe for stuffed bell peppers. It was delicious!

NOTE: I did not have straight orzo, but I used the "Harvest Grains Blend" from Trader Joe's that has a mix of Israeli cous cous, orzo, quinoa, etc. I'm sure you could substitute another type of pasta or rice if you would like. Also, you could add some meat like ground beef to it, or other veggies (although it is quite delish and filling as is).

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers (from Giada's Kitchen)

1 (28-ounce) can whole Italian tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (I just used basil)
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling (I used Parmesan)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or less..)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and break them into pieces using a pair of kitchen shears or your fingertips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo will be only partially cooked. Drain the orzo through a sieve, reserving the chicken broth, and add the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish (since there are only two of us, I scaled the recipe down to just 2 bell peppers and then cooked them in individual souffle dishes). Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. Cut a very think slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle each pepper with cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to serving plates. Garnish with basil, if desired.