Stuffed zucchini recipe
Stuffed zucchini recipe: I learned this baked stuffed zucchini recipe from my mother-in-law, it's usually prepared during Summertime here in Sardinia, when the zucchini are their best.
Here we are with another ’classical’ Italian recipe. Personally, it was like a nightmare for me during some years…this is why my father-in-law used to plant them (among other things) and used to bring me full baskets of zucchini and eggplants. As I grew up learning that we should not give away food, what did I do? I cooked them all! When I had quite finished and the basket was empty, guess what? He arrived with another one! During those years I always had eggplant parmigiana and stuffed zucchini inside my freezer!
To prepare this recipe you will need big Italian zucchini. I really don’t believe they can be found everywhere. Do you know why? Because you are going to cut the big zucchini in 4 or 5 pieces about 2in high and will have to empty its inside.
If you can’t find them, instead of cutting with a cylinder-shape, just divide it in two in the long way. It's one of the best vegetarian recipes I know.
Ingredients (4 people):
• 3 or 4 big zucchini or 8 ’normal sized’ zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 of cup of grated bread (bread crumbs)
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Oil to fry (I use extra virgin olive oil because it’s tasty and healthier, but it’s up to you)
• 1/2 minced onion
• 1 piece of minced garlic clove
• Minced parsley
• homemade tomato sauce recipe
• Salt
• pepper
How to prepare:
To prepare this stuffed zucchini recipe, begin by pelling up and cutting them in cylinders or along, depending on their size. If you are using big zucchini, cut 5 ’tops’ from one of the extremes. It will really serve as a top, when you fill up the cylinder, avoiding the stuff to go out of its vessel. Got it? Empty them, putting aside the internal part. Then fry the external cylinders, the ’taps’ or halfs and put on absorbent paper after frying.
Take another pan and add the extra virgin olive oil, the minced onion, minced garlic, parsley and let them colour for a while. Add then the internal part of the zucchini that in the meanwhile you had cut into smaller pieces. Add salt and pepper.
Let it cook until it gets soft and well mixed with the rest. It’s time to add the two eggs that you have beaten before, mixing it well immediately to avoid pieces, add the grated parmesan cheese and add the bread crumbs until it becomes a little less liquid (you may be able to take it with a small spoon to fill the external parts).
Take an oven pan and spread some homemade tomato sauce to cover it all. Then place the cylinders of zucchini, and carefully ’close’ each one at its bottom with a ’top’. Or just put the half fried zucchini, always depending on which you have used.
Fill them up with the stuffed zucchini and cover all together with Italian tomato sauce . Put it into the oven at 390°F for about 40 minutes, or when you see that it is a little bit coloured.
Buy some good bread to accompany your meal.
Buon appetito! Enjoy!
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