Christmas Stuffed Peppers with Minced Beef, Rice and Tomato Sauce

• 150 g Long-grain white rice
• 4 large Red pepper, firm, evenly sized
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 400 g Minced beef
• 2 tsp Sweet paprika
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 500 ml Tomato passata
• 150 ml Dry White Wine
• 15 g Fresh parsley

1. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Cook the rice in a saucepan of salted water for 10 minutes, then drain well and set aside to steam-dry.
2. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Finely chop the pepper tops (discard the stalks) and set aside; put the hollowed peppers in a baking dish.
3. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Finely chop the onion, then cook it with the chopped pepper tops and a pinch of the salt for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and sweet.
4. Crush the garlic and stir it into the pan for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the minced beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and any liquid has evaporated.
5. Stir in the sweet paprika, black pepper and the remaining salt. Tip in the cooked rice and mix until the filling is evenly combined, then take off the heat.
6. Spoon the filling into the peppers, packing it in gently. Pour the tomato passata and dry white wine around the peppers, then cover the dish tightly with foil.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until the peppers are tender and the sauce is bubbling. If the sauce looks thin, lift the peppers out briefly and simmer the sauce in a saucepan for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly thickened, then return it to the dish.
8. Finely chop the parsley and stir most of it into the sauce. Serve the peppers with plenty of sauce spooned over, finished with the remaining parsley.

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