Baked Stuffed Zucchini
Zucchine Ripieni
Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Vegetables
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but labor intensive

Hollow out the zucchini like a canoe and stuff it with breadcrumbs, currants, and pine nuts.  It's fast to make, freezes well, and the zucchini pulp can be saved and used to make Frittata of Zucchini and Olive (see below).  You can scoop the pulp out with a spoon.  If you don't have any tomato sauce around, you can stir together 1 tablespoon tomato paste with 3 tablespoons water.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 40 minutes

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon currants

1 teaspoon pine nuts

1 teaspoon onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated pecorino cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scraped out, half of pulp scooped out

Salt to taste

2 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs, currants, pine nuts, onion, parsley, garlic, pecorino, and black pepper together.  Lightly oil a baking dish and place the zucchini in it.  Season with salt.  Fill each zucchini half with the bread crumb stuffing and drizzle some olive oil over the stuffing.  Layer the mozzarella cheese on top.  On top of the cheese spread a tablespoon of tomato sauce

3. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.  Remove and serve hot.

Variation: 

Note: 

Posted: 01/04/2007

Needed Recipes:

Tomato Sauce

Referenced Recipes:

Frittata with Zucchini and Olives