Zucchini Noodle, Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Maggie Michalczyk, RDN
A fun way to use zucchini noodles, these stuffed peppers with quinoa and turkey are sure to be a delicious addition to your weekly meal rotation! Easy to make and packed with protein and nutrition!
1/2cupgrated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
1/4cupchopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Cut around the top of the pepper, removing the stem, and all of the seeds, then rinse. Lightly sprinkle the inside of the peppers with kosher salt and place in a microwave safe dish with ¼ cup water. Microwave for 5 minutes until they start to soften. Remove and set aside.
3. Spiralize the zucchini. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and season with a sprinkle of salt. Toss the zucchini and cook until it just begins to soften, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. In the same pan, heat the rest of the olive oil until hot then add the ground turkey, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked almost through, stirring often.
5.Add the onion and continue to cook until the onion softens. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the quinoa and zucchini. Toss with the Parmesan cheese and the fresh basil and season to taste.
6. Add the peppers to a 3 quart baking dish and fill them with the zucchini noodle and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the tops with more Parmesan cheese if desired, and bake for 20 minutes or until peppers are softened and cheese is browned.
Notes
You can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the ground turkey.