Home » Main Course / Entrees » Beef and Lamb » Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers

Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers

Jump to Recipe
4.49 from 31 votes
2 hours

Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers are the ultimate late-winter comfort food!  Green bell peppers are stuffed with ground beef and farro then topped with a lively tomato sauce for a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal!

Photo of four Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers in white baking dish.

I’m so excited that we’re about to spring forward!  Even though it takes a little time to adjust, I’m ready no matter what and am so happy to not have to drive home in the dark for a while!  Before winter ends, I always have to make classic stuffed peppers at least once.

In the spirit of moving forward, how about an update to the classic stuffed pepper?  How about Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers?

History of stuffed peppers:

Stuffed peppers appeared in cookbooks as far back as the 1890’s.  Your grandmother or mother probably made them and many different cuisines around the world have a version of the stuffed pepper.

What is farro?

Although farro is an ancient grain, it’s worth knowing about and enjoying today!

It’s an ancient grain with a nutty flavor that’s very good for you.  It has a satisfying chew similar to barley and it even looks like barley.  Farro has been cultivated in Italy for centuries.  It’s related to wheat so it’s not gluten-free.

You’ll generally find two types of farro:  Whole-grain and pearled.  Whole-grain farro can be tricky to cook and involves having to soak it overnight.  However, pearled farro, which has some of the bran removed, is very easy to cook.  Here’s more information on farro and how to cook it from Bob’s Red Mill.

Farro is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.  Farro is derived from wheat so it’s not gluten-free.

Photo of farro in glass jar.

How to make Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers:

  • Start with big, blocky fresh green bell peppers.
  • Cook the farro in salted, boiling water on the stovetop or with the help of an electric pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot.

Photo of four freshly washed green bell peppers.

  • Cut the tops off the peppers and if necessary, shave a little off the base of the pepper so the pepper stands upright.
  • Place on a baking sheet upside down and bake for 15 minutes or so.  This is going to soften the peppers every so slightly but will also start to extract some of the water from the bell peppers.  There’s a lot of water in bell peppers so it’s a good idea to lightly roast them to get some of the water out.

Photo of green bell peppers prepped for stuffing with seeds and membrane removed and bottom of pepper evened out.

  • Make the chunky tomato sauce with onions, celery and the chopped tops from the bell peppers.

Photo of tomato sauce in nonstick skillet being stirred with wooden spoon.

  • Spread some of the sauce over the bottom of a prepared baking dish.
  • Combine some of the sauce with the beef and farro stuffing combination.

Photo of bell peppers stuffed with meat and farro mixture.

  • Top with the rest of the sauce, cover and bake!

Photo of peppers in white baking dish stuffed with meat, sauced and ready for baking.

  • The Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the peppers registers 165 degrees.
  • Top with more cheese and place back in the oven just until the cheese melts.

Photo of baked Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers in white baking dish with gray towel and white serving spoon.

Mwwaaaahhhhh!  Make these hearty Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers!  Farro lovers, be sure to also try my Tomato Farro Risotto with Basil and Parmesan!

Close-up photo of Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers in white baking dish with white serving spoon.

For more amazing stuffed peppers and other veggies, be sure to try my:

Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers - Overhead close-up shot of peppers in white baking dish

Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers

4.49 from 31 votes

Click to Rate!

By: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen
Italian Beef and Farro Stuffed Peppers are the ultimate late-winter comfort food!  Green bell peppers stuffed with ground beef and farro topped with a lively tomato sauce make for a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Beef
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 715 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup farro
  • Salt
  • 4 large green bell peppers
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil - divided plus more for baking dish
  • 1 medium onion - finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery - finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
  • 1 can (15-ounce) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs - undrained
  • 1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup beef broth - or chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 egg - lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese - divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped parsley - for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large, deep baking dish.
  • Cook farro in salted boiling water until tender but still al dente. (This can take 30 minutes or so. Alternately, place farro and 3 cups water in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker and cook on high 10 minutes.) Drain excess water and set aside.
  • While the farro is cooking, remove the tops from the green bell peppers and carefully hollow them out. If necessary, shave a little off the bottom so they stand level. Reserve the tops of the peppers, pull out the stem and coarsely chop the remainder.
  • Rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then place upside down on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.
  • Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and chopped green bell pepper tops. Reduce heat to medium and cook, adjusting heat as necessary until vegetables are tender.
  • Add the garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes to get flavors to meld. Let cool slightly.
  • Transfer 1 cup of the sauce to a bowl. Add beef, egg, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the Mozzarella, salt, black pepper and cooked farro. Stir to combine.
  • Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the dish.
  • Fill each pepper with equal amounts of the beef-farro combination and place upright in baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over each pepper.
  • Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into each pepper registers 165 degrees.
  • Top with remaining cheese and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted.
  • Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:  Substitute barley for the farro.  To make gluten-free, use short grain brown rice in place of the farro.  
MAKE AHEAD: Prepare to the point of baking and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours. (Make sure ground beef is extremely fresh!)
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:  Bake, cool and store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator.  Reheat in the oven, toaster oven or microwave.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 1379mg | Potassium: 1022mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 135mg | Calcium: 519mg | Iron: 6mg

These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment, star rating or post your photo on Instagram and tag @fromachefskitchen.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Very good! Not pre-cooking the beef before stuffing the pepper yielded a more ‘Meaty’ flavor to the end product. Took 50 min to get to 165. Will make again.