Piquillos rellenos (Stuffed peppers)

Ingredients

Piquillos rellenos
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups pesto (recipe below)
1 head radicchio, finely chopped
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 (4-oz.) log goat cheese
1 (12-oz.) jar piquillo peppers (may substitute roasted red peppers)

Pesto
2 cups basil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil

Directions

In a sauté pan on medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add onions and cook slowly until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. While onions are cooling, make pesto and radicchio mixture.

For pesto, place basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse and slowly drizzle in 1 1/2 cups olive oil until all ingredients are well blended.

In a mixing bowl, toss radicchio, honey and balsamic vinegar, coating radicchio evenly. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir caramelized onions, 1 1/2 cups pesto and goat cheese together until evenly mixed. Fill a piping bag with the cheese mixture. (If you do not own a piping bag, a resealable plastic bag with one corner cut off works just as well.) Pipe each piquillo pepper about three-quarters full. Do not overfill because the mixture will melt out.

Heat a sauté pan and add remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil. When pan is hot, place stuffed piquillos in pan. Warm for about 1 minute on each side.

Put radicchio on a serving plate, place piquillos on top and serve immediately.

Serves 4