Stuffed Peppers with Zucchini and Lemon

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare your peppers. Slice them in half lengthwise and carefully remove the ribs and seeds, leaving the stems intact for presentation.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute zucchini and onion in the olive oil until softened.

Drain the canned diced tomatoes. Combine the cooked rice, sauteed veggies and tomatoes together with chopped garlic, tomato paste, lemon zest, lemon juice and broth. Add in rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, and half of the shredded cheese. Mix well.

At this point, if you are making these vegetarian, stuff the peppers; if you are making meaty peppers, mix in the browned Italian sausage prior to stuffing.

Arrange peppers in a 9×13 pan that you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray. Fill the peppers with a heaping portion of the rice mixture. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.

I like to serve these with a green salad and fresh soft rolls. You can make these with any kind of peppers—mini peppers as an appetizer, large peppers as a main dish, or medium peppers as a side dish.