Stuffed Onions

Stuffed onions are a very tasty and versatile dish. Here is the recipe to prepare them with an Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 4 large onions
• 200 g of ground meat (mixed beef and pork)
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• Breadcrumbs, as needed
• Chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper, as needed
• Vegetable broth as necessary
• Extra virgin olive oil
• If desired, you can also add a bit of diced pancetta or cooked ham to enrich the filling

Preparation

1. Take the onions, peel them and cut off the top so you can hollow them out more easily. With the help of a melon baller or a knife, gently remove some of the inside of the onions, leaving the outer walls intact so that they can contain the filling without breaking.
2. Take the removed flesh and chop it finely.
3. In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the grated Parmesan, egg, chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. If you chose to add pancetta or ham, add them at this time.
4. Add the chopped onion to the mixture and knead everything well to obtain a homogeneous filling.
5. Stuff the onions with the meat filling, place them in a baking dish with a drizzle of oil on the bottom and pour some vegetable broth around the onions, just enough to slightly cover the bottom of the dish.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 40-50 minutes or until the onions are soft and the filling well cooked. If necessary, cover with aluminum foil to prevent the onions from becoming too dark.
7. Serve hot, maybe with a drizzle of reduced balsamic or some fresh tomato sauce on the side to add a touch of flavor.

Curiosity

Stuffed onions can be adapted with different types of fillings made from vegetables or grains for a vegetarian version. In some Italian regions, it is common to find stuffed onions on the menus of trattorias, where each chef has their secret version of the filling!