When I was growing up in Ohio, stuffed bell peppers were on the table many nights. This recipe is inspired by my time in Italy, switching it up with long hot peppers and homemade Italian sausage to give the old recipe a new kick. Brown up any leftover sausage filling for pasta, topping for pizza or just about anything.
For the filling: Preheat a wood-fired oven or regular oven to 500 degrees F.
In a mortar and pestle, grind together the ground fennel, fennel seeds, black pepper, garlic and Calabrian chiles. Add to a large bowl along with the ground pork, Parmigiano, pecorino, ricotta and egg. Sprinkle the filling with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Mix.
Sprinkle the peppers with salt and let sit for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Evenly distribute the filling among the pepper halves. Press the filling firmly into each pepper half so that the filling stays perfectly compact.
To a large cast-iron or a baking dish, add your favorite tomato sauce along with the olive oil. Gently place the peppers (stuffing side up) on top of the tomato sauce. Use a piece of foil to tightly cover the top of the the baking dish and place in the oven until the sausage filling is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the filling is golden brown and crisp.
For the topping: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil until hot, then pour over the garlic in a bowl. Let cool, then add the basil, chiles and salt and mix to combine.
Transfer the peppers to a platter and top with the basil topping and some Parmigiano-Reggiano grated over.
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