Stuffed Peppadew Recipe

Prepare spinach

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the fresh baby spinach and blanch for 20–30 seconds until wilted. Immediately drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Once cool, squeeze out as much water as possible using your hands or a clean kitchen towel, then finely chop the spinach.

Make ricotta mixture

In a mixing bowl combine the whole-milk ricotta, softened cream cheese, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until mostly smooth.

Fold in spinach

Fold the finely chopped, well-drained spinach into the ricotta mixture until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.

Prepare peppadews

Drain the jarred peppadew peppers and pat dry with paper towels. If peppers are very large, cut a small slit to create a pocket for stuffing; if they have seeds, remove them gently to create room.

Stuff peppers

Transfer the ricotta-spinach filling to a piping bag or a small zip-top bag with a corner snipped (or use a small spoon). Carefully pipe or spoon approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into each peppadew, filling until slightly domed but not overflowing. Continue until all peppers are filled.

Drizzle and garnish

Arrange the stuffed peppadews on a serving platter. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the peppers, sprinkle the extra grated Parmesan on top, and finish with the sliced basil or chives.

Optional warm serving

If you prefer warm stuffed peppadews, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 6–8 minutes until warmed through and cheese is slightly soft. Remove and serve warm or at room temperature.