Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

Summer 2027. The house population has been halved over the last two years. Diego in the NFL. Sofia going to Stanford in September. The twins are twelve and will be here for four more years, which I find reassuring and also which I'm trying not to make a thing out of in front of them because they don't need to know they're anchoring me. They have their own trajectories.

Marco has decided to play football. He told me at breakfast on a Tuesday with the same quiet certainty he brings to everything: "I want to play football." I asked at what level. He said high school for now, with the future open. I said okay. I said I'd support whatever he decided. I said nothing else because the most important thing a father who coaches football can do when his twelve-year-old announces he wants to play is not make a big deal of it. He wants to play. He'll play. The relationship between us will not be determined by the sport. I'll remember Diego and the compartmentalization and I'll hold it.

Eleventh chile roasting. I did it alone this year — Lisa at a conference, Sofia already in packing mode, twins at their friend Marcus's house. Just me in the Sprouts parking lot with my forty pounds and my bags. Not lonely exactly. Just mine. The ritual holds whether or not there's an audience. The smell was the same. The smoke was the same. Ruben was there the same way he's always there. The chiles turned black and I bagged them and went home to the kitchen and it was enough.

Made the first green chile stew of the new chiles on Sunday. Alone. Set it on the stove and watched the rain come in over the Front Range and ate a bowl at the kitchen island. Some meals are communal. Some are just yours. Both are real nourishment.

The green chile stew I made that Sunday is the kind of thing that doesn’t photograph well and doesn’t need to — it exists in the eating of it, in the rain over the Front Range through the kitchen window. When I want to stretch those roasted chiles into something that holds up for a second meal or shares easier with whoever wanders back into the house, these orzo-stuffed peppers are where I land: same roasted pepper soul, same unhurried kitchen presence, just a little more structure to it. It’s the right recipe for the week after the ritual — still yours, still quiet, but ready for the table if anyone shows up.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers or poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 cup dry orzo pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup roasted green chiles, peeled and chopped (fresh-roasted or thawed)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese, divided
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish and arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in a single layer.
Cook the orzo. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Build the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 4—5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the chopped roasted green chiles, diced tomatoes, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook 3 minutes until fragrant.
Combine. Add the cooked orzo and broth to the skillet. Stir to combine and let simmer 2—3 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
Fill and bake. Spoon the orzo filling evenly into each pepper half, pressing gently to pack. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Finish uncovered. Remove foil and bake an additional 10—15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden and the peppers are tender.
Rest and serve. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. Eat one bowl at the kitchen island. That counts.

Nutrition (per serving)

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers — The First Stew of the Season Belongs to You