Stuffed Zucchini
But if you’re looking for a main dish to serve with a nice salad on the side, it’s hard to beat stuffed zucchini. Fillings are highly adaptable and not a bit of squash goes to waste.
Stuffed Zucchini
Photo Credit : Styled and Photographed by Liz NeilyBut if you’re looking for a main dish to serve with a nice salad on the side, it’s hard to beat stuffed zucchini. Fillings are highly adaptable and not a bit of squash goes to waste. This recipe is very easy, but don’t skip the first step of salting the zucchini boats and letting them drain while you make the filling. This step keeps the zucchini nice and firm.
Yield:
6-8 servingsIngredients
6 medium zucchini
Kosher salt, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausages (uncooked), removed from their casings
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dried or packed in oil)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
Freshly ground black pepper,to taste
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and spoon out the flesh until the walls are about 1/3 inch thick. Roughly chop the flesh and set aside. Sprinkle the insides with a thin layer of salt, then lay the zucchini upside-down on paper towels to drain while you prepare the filling.
Preheat your oven to 400°. In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into very small pieces, until the meat begins to brown (if you have trouble chopping the meat in the pan, remove once it has cooked and pulse it three times in a food processor).
Add the zucchini flesh, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and have lost much of their liquid, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the bread crumbs. Taste the mixture and add additional salt as needed.
Wipe the salt from the drained zucchini boats and lay them in a large casserole dish. Spoon in the filling, packing gently. Sprinkle each boat with about a tablespoon of grated Parmesan. Place into the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.
