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1. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, stir in the rice and 0.5 tsp of the salt, cover, and simmer on low for 12 minutes until just par-cooked. Set aside, uncovered.
0.5 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked,
1 cup water,
0.5 tsp salt
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2. Slice the tops off the bell peppers, remove the seeds and membranes, and chop the usable pepper tops finely. Stand the peppers upright in a baking dish, trimming the bases slightly if needed so they sit level.
4 piece large green bell peppers
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3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and chopped pepper tops for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4 piece large green bell peppers,
1 piece yellow onion, finely diced,
3 clove garlic cloves, minced,
1 tbsp olive oil
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4. Add the ground beef, remaining salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, and smoked paprika. Cook, breaking the meat up, for 6–8 minutes until browned, then stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and cook 1 minute.
1 lb ground beef (80/20),
1 tbsp tomato paste,
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce,
1 tsp dried oregano,
1 tsp dried basil,
1 tsp smoked paprika,
1.0 tsp salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper
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5. Remove from the heat and stir in the par-cooked rice and half of the tomato sauce. Stir in the sugar and taste for seasoning.
1 cup tomato sauce,
1 tsp sugar
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6. Pour the remaining tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the filling into the peppers, packing it in gently, and stand them in the sauce.
1 cup tomato sauce
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7. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover, top with the mozzarella cheese, and bake 15 minutes more until the peppers are tender and the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
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8. Rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the parsley and serve each pepper with a spoonful of the baking-dish sauce.
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)
