4 Portabella mushrooms with stems & gills removed (or 2 red peppers sliced in half lengthwise and deseeded, or 2 mushrooms and 2 peppers)
1 lb Italian sausage
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
SAUCE
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (2 tsp dry)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Clean tops of the mushrooms with a damp towel and place stem side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, crumbling and breaking up as you saute. When cooked through, drain on paper towel and let cool. Combine the cooled meat with basil, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic and parmesan cheese. Divide the mixture with your hands into 4 and stuff inside portabella mushrooms and/or red peppers, placing the stuffed veggie into a baking dish. Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes until nice and golden brown.
To make the sauce, heat the cream over medium high heat. Let it boil lightly (don't let it scorch) until it has thickened and has reduced to about a cup. (Don't be impatient with this process...it will take awhile. I was totally impatient and had a really soupy sauce at first. Don't be like me.) When it has reduced, add pepper, basil and parmesan cheese.
Serve the stuffed mushrooms and/or peppers with the herb cream sauce spooned over top with a salad on the side.
