- 8 red bell peppers, roasted (procedure follows)
- 5 tablespoons prepared pesto or 8 large fresh basil leaves
- a 12-ounce piece fresh mozzarella, cut crosswise into 8 slices
- 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Accompaniment: crusty Italian bread
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Make a lengthwise slit down one side of each roasted pepper and open peppers.
- Arrange peppers, open sides up, on a large baking sheet. Top half of each pepper with about 2 teaspoons pesto (or 1 basil leaf), 1 slice mozzarella, and some prosciutto and fold other half of pepper over prosciutto to enclose filling. Drizzle peppers with oil and bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Serve peppers with bread.
- Using a long-handled fork char the peppers over an open flame, turning them, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. (Or broil the peppers on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let them steam, covered, until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut off the tops, and discard the seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)