Spicy Arrabbiata sauce can be used in so many different ways. Here I have used a supermarket sauce with chickpeas to create a spicy stuffed capsicum. Bullhorn Capsicum are sweetish in taste and make a yummy encasement for the Arrabbiata chickpeas in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

6 bullhorn capsicum
2 Tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup pepitas
1 cup lemon juice
2 400g cans of chickpeas
2 400g jars Arrabbiata sauce (I used Barilla)
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes

METHOD:

1. Pre heat your oven to 180degrees celsius.
2. With a sharpe knife slice capsicum longways to open them.
3. Scrape out the seeds, I usually do this with a teaspoon.
4. Place to one side.
5. Drain chickpeas into a colander and rinse really well.
6. Pat dry chickpeas with a paper towel.
7. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of tahini, 8 tablespoons of arrabbiata sauce.
8. Mash roughly with a potato masher to create a chunky filling.
9. Fold in the pepita seeds.
10. Open the capsicums and evenly divide the filling between the 6 capsicum.
11. They should be nice and full as they easily expand.
12. Place into a baking dish, the capsicum should fit quite snuggly so they cook with a nice amount of sauce, be careful not to use a dish that is too big.
13. Mix the remaining Arrabbiata sauce with the other 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
14. Pour over and around the capsicum to provide a sauce “bath” for cooking.
15. Cover baking dish with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.
16. After 45 minutes, remove from the oven, remove the tin foil.
17. Add cherry tomatoes.
18. Place baking dish back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes to cook the cherry tomatoes and finish off the capsicum.
19. Serve on a bed of your favourite grain, steamed brown rice is a good option.

Arrabbiata capsicum are an easy healthy meal that is simple to prepare. You could use a tomato sauce if you aren’t keen on the spiciness. Its worth a good read of ingredients in the supermarket as many brands are vegan even though its not stated on the label.

Recipe by Catherine Carr

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