ISO stuffed zucchini

[elaine l]

I would like to make a stuffed zucchini tomorrow. What I have to stuff it with is ricotta (would I use that?), sausage, peppers, onion, garlic, hard cheese, tomato sauce, mushrooms, bread crumbs. Just not sure how to construct it. Would I add the ricotta and bread crumbs to the part that I cook? I have the main idea just not feeling real confident about the final outcome. Also the squash is rather large (not my idea!) so should I do something to it first?

Thanks.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Cook your sausage, peppers, onion, garlic, & mushrooms. Then add to some of your grated hard cheese, tomato sauce, ricotta, & some of your bread crumbs in a bowl. You could probably also add some crushed red pepper flakes & dried oregano if you had a mind to for seasoning. Gently combine & fill your zucchini "shell(s)", (which have been removed of their seeds & scraped of any possible stringy fibers). Top with some more breadcrumbs & grated cheese & bake. If the squash is really large, you might want to add a little water to the baking container to help the shell "steam" a little while baking.

As far as temp & time - I'd do 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes, check for shell tenderness & temp of stuffing, & take from there.

 

[justplainbill]

Soften two or three chopped onions in a pan with1 to 2 tbs of olive oil.
Add and brown an adequate quantity of crumbled ground beef and perhaps some sausage meat.
Split zucchini, discard seeds if you like, and chop the balance of the scooped-out interior.
Add seasonings of your choice (oregano, minced garlic, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper?) to the chopped pulp and combine with browned meat and perhaps some bread crumbs.
Stuff hollowed squash with the chopped pulp and browned meat mixture.
Sprinkle top with grated parmesan, ladle on some marinara sauce, add more grated parmesan and perhaps some pitted kalamata olives and or mushrooms.
Bake in a 350 oven until cheese melts nicely (about 45 minutes?).
Optionally, depending on the consistency of your topping, 15 minutes before completion of the baking sprinkle on more Parmigiano, some crushed red pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Since most local summer squash is available during warmer weather, we usually cook the above on top of the stove in a covered stainless (Revereware) pan on medium-low heat for about one+ hours.

 

[kadesma]

We make stuffed zukes now and then..I cut them in half and after cooking to a tender crisp scoop out the insides, squeeze out as much water as posssible and then add some evoo, finely chopped onion that I've softened by cooking, finely chopped parsley, garlic, marjoram,mix well add beaten egg and parmesan,salt and pepper and then stuff place on cookie sheet coated with evoo and bake til filling is set and firm. It's simple but tasty and one of my M-I-L's goodies Bake in 400 oven til you are happy with firmness usually about 20 min. Keep an eye on them you don't want them to brown.

kadesma

 

[elaine l]

Well I took a little bit of advice from each of you. Thanks for responding. It is in the oven now. I cooked the onion, peppers and sausage then mixed in the ricotta cheese. I put the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish then filled the squash topped with buttered bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese. The squash, which was given to me, seems really firm so I hope it cooks. I did cover it with foil.

 

[justplainbill]

Well I took a little bit of advice from each of you. Thanks for responding. It is in the oven now. I cooked the onion, peppers and sausage then mixed in the ricotta cheese. I put the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish then filled the squash topped with buttered bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese. The squash, which was given to me, seems really firm so I hope it cooks. I did cover it with foil.

I've never had one that didn't soften if cooked long enough. Stick a fork in it to verify it has reached the tenderness you want.