Italian Sausage-Stuffed Peppers with Provolone

4 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup orzo*
12 ounces fresh Italian sausage, either hot or mild
1 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Wisconsin Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Wisconsin Provolone Cheese
8 large fresh whole red peppers, tops sliced off and seeded
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons homemade or purchased basil pesto

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Bring water to a boil in a large, deep pot. Add salt and orzo. Boil for 9 minutes. Drain in wire sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Set asie.
3. Removed sausage from casings, if necessary, and break into small pieces. Sauté over medium high heat until browned and barely cooked through. Add chopped red peppers. Remove from heat and stir in orzo and cheeses until cheese melts. Cool.
4. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
5. Stuff sausage-orzo mixture into prepared whole peppers and place peppers upright in the pan.
6. Mix bread crumbs and pesto together and spread evenly over top of the stuffed peppers.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or unitl the surface is lightly browned.
8. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

*Orzo is a dried pasta, shaped like short-grain rice.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.