Funghi Ripieni (Stuffed Mushrooms)

24 large mushrooms, about 2" in diameter
1/2 C. cooked Italian sausage
1 C. plain bread crumbs
1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 T. fresh, flat leafed parsley, chopped
1/4 C. freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
1-2 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a deep baking dish large enough to hold the mushrooms.
Clean mushrooms with a mushroom brush or wipe dirt from them with a clean towel. NEVER SOAK MUSHROOMS IN WATER! Remove stems, chop them finely and reserve. Set the caps aside separately.
Remove sausage from its casing and brown the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you cook. When sausage is browned and there are no traces of pink, remove it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain fat.
In the same skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic and pepper and saute until they soften. Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, and mushroom stems. Cook about 1 minute.
Stir in the cooked sausage and the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the mushroom caps full of the filling. Place mushrooms in buttered baking dish and bake, uncovered for about 20-30 minutes or until stuffing is browned and mushrooms are tender crisp.