041 / 75 · Tofu, Eggs and Everyday Vegetarian Meals
Baked Eggs in Pepper Ricotta Boats
4 filled pepper halves; 2 meals of 2 halves and 1 slice of bread · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 25 min
Print recipe · PDFA large pepper half can hold a small ricotta-and-spinach filling with one egg nestled above it. The shell needs a head start before the egg goes in; otherwise its edges may still be firm when the egg has set. These four boats make two meals with measured bread alongside. The useful beginner task is judging the space inside a vegetable rather than treating every pepper as the same-sized container.
Choose broad halves and make a stable seat
Use two large, broad peppers and cut each lengthways through the stem. Remove seeds carefully so the outside wall stays intact. Sit them cut-side up in a dish that supports the sides; a long pointed pepper has less useful capacity than the same weight of a broad one. The first roast softens the shells and releases some liquid. Tip that liquid into the baking dish before filling so the ricotta does not sit in a puddle. Leave the stems attached as handles for shape, not as edible parts of the portion. Each half should comfortably hold about forty grams of ricotta mixture plus a large egg.
Keep the egg in its own hollow
Cook the spinach briefly and squeeze out excess water once it is cool enough to handle. Mixing wet spinach directly into ricotta makes it harder to create a hollow. Divide the mixture evenly, make a dip with a spoon and crack each egg into a small cup before tipping it in. That extra cup lets you remove any shell without digging into the cheese. Bake until both white and yolk are firm and the egg center meets the stated temperature; a glossy white around the yolk needs more time. The bread is part of the meal and estimate. Do not assume an added handful of cheese or an extra egg will still fit, cook in the same interval or retain the same nutrition figures.
Ingredients
- 2 large broad bell peppers, halved lengthways and seeds removed (500 g prepared)
- 4 large eggs (about 200 g edible, shells removed)
- 2/3 cup part-skim ricotta (160 g)
- About 3 packed cups spinach, washed (80 g)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (10 ml/about 9 g), divided
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)
- 2 slices whole-wheat bread (80 g total)
Set out
9 by 13-inch/23 by 33 cm baking dish, Small nonstick skillet, Mixing bowl, Small cup for cracking eggs, Spoon, Clean sieve and spoon for pressing spinach, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Foil, Food thermometer, Oven mitts, 2 plates
Allergens
Egg, Milk, Wheat; check bread labels for sesame or other added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Brush pepper halves with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the oil and arrange cut-side up in the baking dish. Roast for 20 minutes until beginning to soften. Remove the dish, tip any liquid from the cavities into the dish and leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in the small skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and cook for 2–3 minutes until completely wilted. Put in a clean sieve, cool enough to handle and press out excess liquid. Chop and mix with ricotta, salt and pepper.
- Divide the ricotta mixture among the 4 pepper halves, about 1/4 of the mixture each. Make a hollow in each with a spoon. Crack 1 egg into the small cup, then slide it into one hollow. Repeat for all 4 eggs. Do not overfill a very small cavity: use broad peppers of the stated size.
- Bake for 25–35 minutes until peppers are tender, egg whites and yolks are firm and the egg centers reach at least 160°F/71°C. If pepper edges brown early, loosely tent with foil without touching the eggs. Leave for 5 minutes, then serve 2 halves per person with 1 bread slice.
A useful kitchen skill
Part-roast a vegetable shell and check its usable cavity before filling; egg whites and yolks must set, not merely look warm around the edges.
A useful detail
The 85-minute total allows pepper preparation, the preliminary roast, filling, final egg setting and a brief rest. The estimate counts the full spinach weight and oil, although a little moisture is pressed out. Raw red pepper is the color basis.
Another way
- Use 80 g baby kale instead of spinach, cooking until fully tender before pressing and chopping; this may need several extra minutes and a different estimate.
- Replace part-skim ricotta with the same weight of whole-milk ricotta, allowing for the changed nutrition and a potentially looser mixture.
Keep it well
Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 3 days. Reheat the portion needed in a covered dish until the egg and filling centers reach 165°F/74°C. Keep bread separate. These eggs are best freshly baked; do not leave filled boats unrefrigerated while waiting for another meal.