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1
Place oven rack in upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 500F Wash bell peppers and cut in 4 or 5 pieces.
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2
Cut out and discard stem, seeds and membranous interior ribs.
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3
Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and place peppers on sheet, skin side up.
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4
Roast 15-20 minutes, until evenly charred and blistered all over.
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5
(You can also do this under the broiler, but watch carefully!)
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6
Place pieces into a ziploc bag while still hot.
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7
Squeeze out excess air, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
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8
Remove peppers from bag.
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9
Peel away charred skins.
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10
Slice into thin strips and set aside.
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11
Place stock in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just barely simmering.
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12
Meanwhile, melt butter in a larger saucepan over medium heat.
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13
Add shallot and pepper flake or chopped fresh chile.
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14
Saute until vegetables are soft and shallot is translucent, 2-4 minutes.
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15
Add the rice and stir well for 2-3 minutes until each grain is well-coated with butter and beginning to turn opaque.
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16
Add tomato paste and continue to stir until it just begins to brown.
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17
Add a ladle full (about 1/2 cup) of stock to rice and stir gently until it is almost entirely absorbed.
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18
Continue adding hot stock, ladle by ladle, stirring after each addition until it is almost absorbed before adding the next.
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19
This should take 15-20 minutes.
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20
When adding the final ladle of stock, add the pepper strops and some thyme leaves.
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21
Cook 2-3 minutes more; the rice should still have a tiny bit of bite, but the sauce should be very creamy.
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22
Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
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23
Dollop with creme fraiche or sour cream before serving.
