Italian Meat-Stuffed Zucchini Recipe | How to Make Zucchine Ripiene

If you walk past a deli in Rome, you might see a peculiar sight: stacks of zucchini which have been hollowed out and filled with a ground meat stuffing. The idea is that these pre-stuffed vegetables are meant to be taken home and cooked for an easy and delicious meal.

Italian Meat-Stuffed Zucchini Recipe | How to Make Zucchine Ripiene

While your local deli might not sell pre-stuffed zucchini, you can make them yourself with this recipe! There’s no better way to make zucchini irresistible than to… you know, stuff them with an Italian meatball mix.

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ZUCCHINE RIPIENE RECIPE

Makes: 4 servings

Cook Time: 90 minutes

For this recipe, you will need:

• 4 large zucchini

• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt

• Fresh black pepper

• ½ pound (225 g) ground beef

• 2 ounces ham, prosciutto, and/or mortadella, chopped

• 1 egg

• 1 ounce (30 g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano and/or pecorino Romano cheese

• 1 cup (130 g) bread crumbs

• Tomato puree (enough to fill your saucepan with 1 to 2 inches, or 2.5 to 5 cm)

• 1 clove garlic, peeled

• 2 to 3 fresh basil leaves

Trim off the ends of each zucchini and cut them in half (widthwise). With a long, thin knife, carefully scoop out (but don’t discard) the seeds and insides. You should be left with four hollow zucchini tubes. Set these aside for later and roughly chop the zucchini insides.

Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil in a pan. Add the zucchini insides and sauté until golden. As they cook, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the cooked zucchini insides into the bowl of a food processor, along with the beef, chopped cold cuts, egg, grated cheese, bread crumbs, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Blend all together until the mixture is smooth and even.

Using a spoon, stuff each zucchini tube with the meat mixture. The meat mix should completely fill the vegetables.

Fill a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water (2.5 to 5 cm) of tomato puree. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, the peeled garlic clove, basil, and salt/pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, covered, over medium/low heat and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in a large pan. Add the stuffed zucchini and cook them evenly on all sides, until they begin to brown.

Once the tomato sauce has cooked, add the browned zucchini into the sauce. Keep the sauce simmering, covered, for 30 minutes to let the zucchini fully cook. As the vegetables simmer, turn and baste them frequently with tomato sauce so that they cook evenly.

Serve warm with tomato sauce from the pan on top.

Buon appetito!