STUFFED RED BELL PEPPERS

• 6 large (8-ounce) red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2/3 cup cooked white rice, cooled
• 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large egg

Cut off top 1/2 inch of peppers and reserve. Scoop seeds from cavities. Discard stems and chop pepper tops. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, parsley, garlic, and chopped pepper pieces. Sauté until onions soften, about 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in rice, paprika, salt, pepper, and allspice. Cool 10 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, then beef and egg.

Fill pepper cavities with beef mixture. Stand filled peppers in single layer in heavy large pot. Pour remaining 2 cups tomato sauce around peppers. Bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer 20 minutes. Spoon some sauce over each pepper. Cover; cook until peppers are tender and filling is cooked through and firm, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover and chill. Rewarm covered over low heat – this is what I did when I made them for our lunch club!)