Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Skillet (Printer-friendly)

One-pan pasta with bell peppers, browned meat, tomatoes and melted mozzarella for a cozy weeknight dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 large bell peppers (red and/or green), diced
02 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Meat

04 - 1 lb ground beef or turkey

→ Pantry

05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 8 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, or shells)
10 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Dairy

14 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

16 - Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell peppers. Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef or turkey to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes with juice, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
05 - Pour in the pasta and broth. Stir to combine, ensuring pasta is submerged in the liquid as much as possible.
06 - Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
07 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the skillet. Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil before serving, if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means you get all the comfort of stuffed peppers with almost zero cleanup.
  • The pasta soaks up the tomato broth as it simmers, creating a saucy, cheesy layer that tastes like it took hours to build.
02 -
  • Do not lift the lid constantly while the pasta simmers because the steam is what cooks it evenly and quickly.
  • Undercook the pasta slightly if you plan to reheat leftovers, since it will continue softening in the sauce.
03 -
  • Shred your own mozzarella from a block because it melts into those beautiful stretchy pools that pre bagged cheese never quite achieves.
  • Let the skillet rest for two minutes off the heat before serving so the sauce thickens slightly and the cheese sets just enough to scoop cleanly.

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