Grilled Trout with Stuffed Peppers: Trota alla Griglia con Peperoni Ripeni

For the peppers:

9 large red bell peppers
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, for drizzling
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped to yield 2 tablespoons
2 basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper

For the trout:

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing fish
3 cloves garlic, plus 6 cloves
5 cups finely chopped parsley leaves
6 (1-pound) trout, gutted, scaled, and rinsed well
6 branches rosemary
Salt and pepper

Peppers: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the tops off 6 of the 9 peppers and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Set aside. Core and seed the remaining peppers and cut them into 1/2-inch dice.

In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic, diced peppers, parsley, and basil and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until the garlic is golden brown and the peppers are slightly soft.

Remove from heat and transfer too a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, pecorino, egg, and salt and pepper, to taste, and mix to combine. Divide evenly among the whole peppers; do not pack the stuffing down too tightly, or it will be very heavy once it is cooked. Drizzle the outside of each pepper with a little olive oil and place in the oven on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pepper is soft and the top of the stuffing is crusty and browned. Serve hot with the trout.

Trout: Preheat the grill or broiler.

In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup olive oil, 3 cloves garlic and the parsley and pulse or puree to make the "salsa verde" (green sauce). Set aside.

Inside each cleaned fish, place 1 clove garlic, 1 branch rosemary, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle inside and out with olive oil and place on the grill or under the broiler, wrapping in aluminum foil, if desired. Turn after 5 to 8 minutes and cook until the flesh is opaque. Serve hot, drizzled with the salsa verde.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty level: easy