Vitamin C-rich piquillo peppers do double duty in this dish. Their triangular shape makes them perfect for stuffing with a tasty tuna filling, and they also make for a scrumptious sauce when paired with hazelnuts and garlic. A small amount of honey helps to balance out the smoky flavor. When paired with a salad, this dish easily serves two as a main meal, but it will stretch to a few more as part of a tapas-style meal.
- 6 oz can tuna drained
- 1/4 cup parsely
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 11 or 12 piquillo or sweet red peppers (drained contents of 9 1/2 oz jar)
- 2 Tbsp whole hazelnuts
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
- 2 tsp honey divided
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- In small bowl, with fork, mix together tuna, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Remove whole peppers from jar and set aside 6 to be stuffed. In bowl of food processor, place remaining peppers with hazelnuts, olive oil, paprika, garlic, sherry vinegar, and 1 tsp honey, and pulse to blend into a sauce. The texture will not be completely smooth.
- Add about 2 Tbsp of sauce to tuna mixture and stir through. Spoon remaining sauce into small baking dish to make a base for stuffed peppers.
- Stuff tuna mixture into 6 piquillo peppers and place them on top of the sauce in baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 1 tsp honey and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Per serving: 345 calories; 27 g protein; 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat); 20 g total carbohydrates (17 g sugars, 1 g fiber); 410 mg sodium
Pepper proficiency
Piquillo means “little beak” and refers to the small triangular shape of the pepper, which is perfect for stuffing. These peppers, originating in northern Spain, are sold in cans or jars and have little heat but a deep sweet and smoky flavor compared to regular jarred peppers. Sodium levels can vary between brands, so look carefully at the label when choosing if sodium is a concern.
If you can’t find piquillo peppers, look for sweet red peppers, which often have the same shape. Jars labelled “roasted peppers” will often contain a pepper larger than piquillos. If you decide to use these instead, simply slice the pepper to make a flat surface and roll the stuffing mixture inside.
