Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. While it heats, prepare all your ingredients: dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces, mince the garlic cloves, chop the parsley, shred the mozzarella cheese, and have the cooked rice ready. Halve the bell peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds and membranes, then lightly coat them inside and out with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Having everything prepped and ready will make the cooking process smooth and efficient.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until it's completely browned and no pink remains (about 5-7 minutes). I like to let it sit undisturbed for the first 2-3 minutes to get some nice browning before breaking it up—this creates better flavor. Once cooked through, reduce heat to medium and immediately add the diced onion and minced garlic to the hot turkey, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the Italian seasoning to the turkey mixture and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and add the water, then stir in the cooked rice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste—I prefer to start conservative and adjust after tasting, as the parmesan and mozzarella will add saltiness. Finally, fold in 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and the freshly chopped parsley. The mixture should be moist but not soupy; if it seems too wet, let it simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce excess liquid.

Spoon the filling mixture from Step 3 generously into each pepper half, dividing it evenly among all six halves. The peppers should be filled but not overflowing. Pour any remaining filling into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it in the preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the peppers are tender and just starting to soften when pierced with a fork.

Carefully remove the foil from the baking dish (watch out for steam). Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella evenly over the top of all the peppers, then finish by sprinkling the 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese over everything. Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown around the edges.

Switch your oven to broil and place the baking dish on the upper rack. Broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling—watch carefully as it can burn quickly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with any remaining fresh parsley if desired, and serve immediately while hot.