10/8/2004
Stuffed Roast Peppers with Pesto (Peperoni arrostiti con pesto)
From The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, page 161

Serve these with Italian bread, such as ciabatta or focaccia, to mop up the garlicky juices.

4 squat red bell peppers
2 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
4 tbsp olive oil
4 shelled scallops
3 tbsp pesto
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
salad leaves and fresh basil sprigs, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, through their stalks.  Scrape out and discard pepper shells and pat dry.

Put the peppers, cut-side up, in an oiled roasting pan.  Divide the slivers of garlic equally among them and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon the oil into the peppers, then roast for 40 minutes.

Cut each of the shelled scallops in half to make two flat disks.  Remove the peppers from the oven and place a scallop half in each pepper half.  Top with pesto.

Return the pan to the oven and roast for 10 more minutes.  Transfer the peppers to individual serving plates, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and garnish each plate with a few salad leaves and fresh basil sprigs.  Serve warm.

Serves 4.