Beef and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 140g (5 oz) lean ground beef, 90%
• 50g (1/4 cup) white rice, dry
• 2 large (200g) bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 80g (1/3 cup) tomato passata
• 30g (1/4 cup) mozzarella, grated
• 40g (1/3) onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves (6g), minced
• 100ml (scant 1/2 cup) water, for the rice
• 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C / 375F (fan 170C / 340F). Cook the rice in the 100ml water: boil, cover, lowest heat 10 min, rest 5 min.
2. Brown the beef hard in a dry pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook 4 min more.
3. Stir in the oregano, salt, pepper, half the passata and the cooked rice. It should hold together, not run.
4. Sit the pepper halves cut-side up in the dish and spoon the remaining passata around them, not over them.
5. Pack the filling in, mounding it slightly.
6. Cover tightly with foil and bake 25 min - the foil steams the peppers soft.
7. Uncover, scatter the mozzarella on and bake 10 min more until bubbling and browned at the edges.