Stuffed Bell Peppers - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup minced carrot
1/4 cup minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced fine
1/4 lb pancetta or 1/4 lb lightly smoked bacon, diced
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
6 large red bell peppers, stems and seeds removed and cut in half lengthwise

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375\u00b0F.
In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender and fluffy; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute carrots and onion until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pancetta or bacon and saute until crispy. Add ground beef and saute until browned; drain off any excess liquid and return to heat. Add marinara sauce, wine, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream, half of the Parmesan cheese, and rice. Simmer 5 minutes more, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Place peppers in a shallow baking dish, and fill with beef mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve hot.