Stuffed Zucchini

It seems everywhere you go in Lexington this time of year, friends and neighbors are eager to share fresh summer vegetables with you. Unfortunately, my garden hasn't produced much of anything yet because I got such a late start- so I've been grateful to enjoy the surplus of others. My mom gave me a beautiful zucchini the other day- it must have been 10 or 11 inches long- absolutely perfect for this recipe. I sliced the zucchini length wise and gently carved out the seeds with a spoon, leaving a shell barely one half inch thick. I then pricked the flesh all over with a fork to help it cook all the way through while baking. You also use two or three smaller zucchini if you like- the grocery store rarely carries the giant variety. I preheat the oven to 375 degrees... The secret to the sauce is fresh local summer tomatoes. You could use any kind you like- grape, cherry, red, yellow, Roma, etc. I find that the large tomatoes such as Better Boys have tougher skins that should really be removed. Simple Summer Tomato Sauce: 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1/2 of a sweet onion, diced (you'll use the other half in the filling so you can dice the whole onion) 2 cloves of garlic, minced (you'll use two more in the filling so go ahead and mince 4) 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved 1 large tomato, peeled and crushed by hand 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon of sugar salt and pepper to taste 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly I started the olive oil and onion in a saucepan over medium heat, sauteed for 3-4 minutes until the onions were translucent, and then I added the garlic, thyme and tomato paste. I cooked the mixture for one minute, stirring well, before adding the tomatoes, sugar and water. Lastly I seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper and let it simmer over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I actually didn't add the basil until just before serving to maximize the flavor.) While the sauce was simmering away, I made the filling which consisted of the following: 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed if using links) 1/2 of a small sweet onion, diced (approx 1/2 cup) 1/2 of a bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup Cremini (baby portabella) Mushrooms, roughly chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 cloves of garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste I started with a generous drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and then added the onions. I sauteed the onions for two minutes before adding the bell pepper, and a minute or two later the sausage. I cooked it all together for 7 or 8 minutes, breaking the sausage up with a spoon as it browned. As soon as the sausage was approaching cooked through, I added the remaining ingredients and cooked for two more minutes.

I spooned the filling into the zucchini, packing it in to fit as much as possible. I then spooned some of the sauce over the top (maybe one third of it) and sprinkled over a mixture of grated Italian cheeses. (Next time I would actually mix 1/3 of the sauce into the filling before stuffing the zucchini versus spooning it over the top. I think it would have helped to bind it all together a bit better.)

I then poured 2/3 cup white wine into the dish, covered the dish with tin foil and put it into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I removed the foil, spooned some of the wine and juices from the dish over the top of the zucchini and cooked 10 minutes longer, letting the cheese get nice and toasty brown.

I served the zucchini over a bed of the sauce with a green salad on the side. It would also be good with a side of pasta. You could double the sauce recipe in that case. It really was tasty- (though missing a big crusty piece of garlic toast). The zucchini was perfectly tender and the filling was hearty and flavorful. The extra sauce on the plate added a big punch of freshness without making it soggy (a danger if the sauce is served over the top.)

You could also use the same preparation (filling and sauce) for stuffed baby eggplant or stuffed bell peppers. Its hard to go wrong with this combination... yum.