Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini

Here’s a delicious recipe for vegetarian stuffed zucchini with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized zucchini
• 200g of ricotta or mashed tofu (for a vegan version)
• 50g of grated parmesan (or a vegan substitute if necessary)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 100g of stale bread or breadcrumbs
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Tomato passata (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Wash the zucchinis, cut them in half lengthwise and hollow them out with a teaspoon to remove the seeds and some of the flesh. Leave a border of about 1 cm to maintain the shape of the zucchini.
3. Finely chop the zucchini pulp and garlic.
4. In a bowl, mix the ricotta (or tofu), parmesan (or substitute), crumbled stale bread or breadcrumbs, garlic, zucchini pulp, parsley, salt, and pepper.
5. Stuff each zucchini with the mixture, placing them in an oven tray lightly greased with oil.
6. (Optional) If you like, you can add a drizzle of tomato passata over the stuffed zucchini for an extra touch of flavor and color.
7. Bake the stuffed zucchini for about 20-25 minutes or until the surface appears golden and crispy.
8. Remove the zucchini from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.

Curiosity

Zucchini are extremely versatile and lend themselves to a wide variety of fillings. This vegetarian version is light and tasty, but in the various Italian regions, you can find versions with minced meat, different cheeses, anchovies, and many other variants. The dish can be served as a starter or as a main course, especially if accompanied by a fresh salad.

Bon appétit!