1/2cupuncooked riceI like using basmati, but you can use any rice you'd like.
1/2poundraw shrimp, cleaned and deveined, shells removed
1tinKing Oscar Brisling Sardines in Zesty Tomato Sauce*See notes
1/2cupdiced red onion
2garlic cloves, grated or minced
1.5tspseafood seasoning
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2cuptomato sauce
1.5cupsgrated mozzarella
1/2cupribboned basil leaves, loosely packed, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven, then preheat the oven to 450º F.Slice the tops of the bell peppers off and set aside. Gut and rinse out the bell peppers. Set the bell peppers onto a baking sheet, bottoms up. Brush olive oil over the peppers and roast them in the oven for 15 minutes, or until tender. When done, remove them from the oven and set aside.
In the meantime, cook the rice as per the directions on the package. When done, remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside.
Remove the stems from the tops of the bell peppers. Dice the pepper tops and place them into a large bowl. Add the diced onion and grated garlic to the bowl; toss to mix.
Heat a TBSP of olive oil in a large saucepan or braiser over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic, and simmer until the onions and peppers are tender—about 2 minutes.
Roughly chop the raw shrimp into bitesize pieces and add them to the saucepan along with the seafood seasoning. Stir to coat and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp is opaque.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the sardines in tomato sauce (be sure to include all of that zesty tomato sauce from the can!), cooked rice, lemon juice, tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella, and the basil. Stir everything with a spatula to combine. As you stir, break up the sardines into bitesize pieces, or smaller. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Flip the peppers over onto their bottoms and place them on the same baking sheet. Scoop the rice and seafood filling into the peppers, tightly packing them. Evenly sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese over the peppers.
Turn the broiler on (high) and place the stuffed peppers in the oven. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and slightly golden and bubbly. Remove from oven, garnish with basil, and serve.
Notes
If you can't find King Oscar's Brisling Sardines in Zest Tomato Sauce, the brisling sardines in extra virgin olive oil would work just fine.