Sweet Peppers Filled with Couscous, Prosciutto, Artichoke Hearts, and Other Goodies

In searching for a way to use sweet peppers and leftover couscous, I found this easy recipe, which I is very easy to modify to meet different tastes and desired number of servings. I cut large sweet peppers in half and filled them with a mixture of couscous, chopped prosciutto, and marinated artichoke hearts, Then I topped them with grated Parmesan cheese and roasted them. Other items that you can mix with the couscous are your favorite type of chopped olives, fresh mozzarella, shallots, minced garlic, and pine nuts. 

Preparing this recipe was made even easier by following a suggestion from the author of the web site where I found the recipe 
(http://www.vodkaandbiscuits.com/2016/04/25/mediterranean-stuffed-peppers/). Instead of cutting off the tops of the peppers and stuffing them, I sliced them lengthwise.

The original recipe served 12. I easily reduced this one to serve two. Below is the recipe for two. It's very easy to scale.

I recommend reading the complete article on the web site where I found the recipe. Lots of good comments and pics.

Ingredients

- Half a sweet bell pepper for each serving. (Use orange, red, or yellow peppers.)
- Couscous (Like the author on the web site, I used Near East brand couscous. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare. One small box will be enough for many servings.)
- a small amount of chopped prosciutto per serving (I often have open, refrigerated packages of diced prosciutto to add to salads.)
- four quartered and marinated artichoke hearts per serving (I often have open refrigerated jars of Reese marinated artichoke hearts for adding to salads, pastas, etc.)
- a tablespoon of grated Parmesan for each serving.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- a small amount of olive oil for rubbing on peppers

Directions

1. Prepare the couscous per package directions. (The web site author used chicken stock instead of water. I normally use water and a couple tablespoons of olive oil.)

2. Cut the peppers lengthwise in half, and remove the ribs and seeds. Baste outside with olive oil.

3. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400°

4. Mix couscous, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, and other stuffing ingredients. (If using pine nuts, shallots, and/or minced garlic, saute first.)

5. Select baking dish large enough to hold peppers. Put about a half inch of water in the bottom of the dish.

6. Put stuffing into bell peppers, and top with grated Parmesan. Place bell peppers open-side up in baking dish. Loosely cover baking dish with aluminum foil.

7. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes.