
Tender Trader Joe's canned calamari packed into sweet roasted peppers with herbed breadcrumbs, finished with a bright lemon-caper pan sauce. It looks stunning on the plate and comes together in under 30 minutes with practically no effort.
Preheat your oven to 220°C. Place the halved peppers cut-side up on a small baking tray, drizzle with a tiny spray of oil, and roast for 15 minutes until just softened and starting to char at the edges.
While the peppers roast, heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 60 seconds until fragrant.
Add the drained calamari to the pan and toss to coat in the garlic oil for 1 minute, then stir in the lemon zest, half the parsley, and the panko breadcrumbs — cook for another 2 minutes until the crumbs are lightly toasted.
Remove the pan from heat, squeeze in 15ml of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine — this is your stuffing.
Pull the peppers from the oven and spoon the calamari mixture evenly into each pepper half, pressing it in gently.
Return the stuffed peppers to the oven for 5 minutes so the tops get golden.
While the peppers finish, return the same pan to medium-high heat, pour in the white wine and remaining 15ml lemon juice, and let it bubble for 2 minutes until reduced by half, then stir in the capers.
Plate two pepper halves per serving, spoon the lemon-caper pan sauce over the top, and scatter with the remaining fresh parsley.
Sign in to join the conversation
Want to create your own AI-powered recipes?