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Writer's pictureChef Matt Basile

Smoked Italian Stuffed Peppers with Burrata and Pesto Cream


smoked and stuffed Italian peppers with burrata and pesto cream

I’ve already shared my recipe for sausage and peppers, a staple in my home as a Canadian-

Italian, but this time I’m bringing you a little twist on that classic sausage and peppers. Instead of sausages served with grilled peppers, I stuffed banana peppers with mild Italian sausage and smoked them in the Alchemy smoker. I took the sausage out of the casings and mixed it with jardiniera and passata and then filled the banana peppers with the mixture. The sausages get a great smoky taste and the peppers cook perfectly with a bit of smoke and heat.


Of course, I didn’t stop there and topped the smoked stuffed peppers with a ball of burrata and made hand-chopped pesto cream to drizzle on top. The smoky and delicious sausage, the bit of heat from the banana peppers, the cool and creamy burrata with the salty and herby pesto cream makes a bite to remember. The whole dish is plated on top of a fresh arugula salad mixed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The bit of freshness and bitterness of the arugula goes so well with all the other flavours, although this part could technically be optional, I would recommend doing it. Keep reading if you want to find out how to make my Smoked Italian Stuffed Peppers with Burrata and Pesto Cream, or jump to the full recipe.


slicing the top of an Italian sausage open to remove the casing

Set the Alchemy smoker to 375-400F. Remove the sausage from their casings and place in a bowl.


passata being poured into a bowl of sausage meat with jardiniera

Add in the jardiniera and passata, mix to combine.


banana peppers being cut in half and the seeds being removed

Slice the banana peppers in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds.


stuffing the peppers with the sausage and jardiniera mixture

Fill in the peppers with the sausage mixture and place in the smoker.


putting the stuffed Italian peppers into the smoker

You can put the stuffed peppers straight on the rack, or in an aluminum container/tray. Smoke for about 20 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through.


pine nuts being added to a pan on the plancha

To make your pesto cream, toast your pine nuts in a pan on the plancha.


olive oil being poured over chopped garlic

Mince your garlic, drizzle with olive oil and continue to mince until it forms a paste.


using the bottom of a pan to crush the toasted pine nuts

Remove the pine nuts from the pan and crush with the bottom of the pan, drizzle with olive oil and chop.


the garlic and pine nuts being chopped together with olive oil

Mix the chopped pine nuts and garlic together. Remove any thick stems from the basil and finely chop. Drizzle with olive oil and continue to chop, mixing it in with the pine nuts and garlic.


the chopped pine nuts, garlic and fresh basil with lemon zest on top all finely chopped together with olive oil

Season with salt and add the zest from one lemon and continue to chop.


the garlic, pine nuts and basil being added to a pan with melted butter

In a pan on the plancha, add the butter then squeeze in the juice from a lemon, add your pesto mixture and stir to combine.


the pesto cream being mixed in the pan on the plancha

Cook until the butter is melted and the pesto is slightly thickened.


lemon juice being squeezed over a bowl of arugula

In a bowl, mix the arugula with the juice from one lemon, olive 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste. Mix to combine.


the smoked stuffed peppers being piled on top of the arugula salad on a plate

To plate, place down your arugula first and add the stuffed peppers on top.


the burrata being cut open on top of the stuffed peppers and arugula salad

Place the ball of burrata on top of the stuffed sausages and arugula salad. Using a knife, cut through the centre of the burrata.


the pesto cream added on top of the stuffed peppers, burrata and arugula salad

Pour over the pesto cream, season with salt and pepper and dig in.


And now for the full recipe...


Smoked Italian Stuffed Peppers with Burrata and Pesto Cream

Serves 2-3 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes


Ingredients:

4 mild Italian sausage

½ cup jardiniera

4 banana peppers

100 ml passata

½ cup butter

1 lemon, juice and zest

80g pine nuts

4-5 cloves garlic

1-1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves

½ cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

2cups arugula

juice from 1 lemon

3tbsp olive oil

1 ball burrata

Maldon salt


How to Make Smoked Italian Stuffed Peppers with Burrata and Pesto Cream


Set smoker to 375-400F.


Remove the sausage from their casings and place in a bowl. Add in the jardiniera and passata, mix.


Slice the banana peppers in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Fill in the peppers with the sausage mixture and place in the smoker. You can put them straight on the rack, or in an aluminum container/tray. Smoke for about 20 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through.


To make your pesto cream, toast your pine nuts in a pan on the plancha. Mince your garlic, drizzle with olive oil and continue to mince until it forms a paste. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and crush with the bottom of the pan, drizzle with olive oil and chop. Mix the chopped pine nuts and garlic together. Remove any thick stems from the basil and finely chop. Drizzle with olive oil and continue to chop, mixing it in with the pine nuts and garlic. Season with salt and add the zest from one lemon and continue to chop.


In a pan on the plancha, add the butter then squeeze in the juice from a lemon, add your pesto mixture and stir to combine. Cook until the butter is melted and the pesto is slightly thickened.


In a bowl, mix the arugula with the juice from one lemon, olive 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste. Mix to combine.


To plate, place down your arugula first. Add the stuffed peppers on top and place the ball of burrata on top of them. Using a knife, cut through the centre of the burrata. Pour over the pesto cream, season with salt and pepper and dig in.


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Matt Basile

MEET THE CHEF

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Chef Matt Basile is the founder of the Toronto-based street food brand, Fidel Gastro's, which, within four years, went from an underground sandwich pop-up to an internationally recognized food brand. Now almost a decade later, Matt has a still growing business of food experiences, restaurant consulting and new and exciting foodie-filled projects on the way. Matt always strives to be different in an industry steeped in tradition. Matt is also the author of the best-selling cookbooks Street Food Diaries and Brunch Life, and was the host of the travel food show Rebel Without a Kitchen for two seasons. More here!

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