Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground lamb, crumbled
- 2 eggs
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves, picked but left whole
- 1 cup basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
- 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Trim the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, remove the flesh making a canal down the center of each zucchini half, leaving 1/4-inch all around and the ends closed. Roughly chop the excess zucchini flesh and set aside.
In a 10 to 12-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil until just smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the zucchini pieces and crumbled lamb and cook until the lamb is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the lamb mixture and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, half of the mint leaves and the tomato sauce and mix well. Season both the mixture and the zucchini boats with salt and pepper. Stuff the lamb mixture into the zucchini boats and pile it high. Place in an oven-proof baking dish just large enough to hold all the zucchini and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp on top, and remove. Serve warm or at room temperature and sprinkle with remaining mint leaves.
Basic Tomato Sauce:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4 inch dice
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
- 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
- Salt, to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups
Photo: Stuffed Zucchini: Zucchini Ripieni Recipe














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By htpmom
Livermore Valle...
on July 25, 2011
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What to do with all the lovely zucchini from my garden? Cook this wonderful recipe. A real treat. glad I found it.
By larkhalpern_116...
Tiburon, CA
on September 21, 2009
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I only had three zucchini and a half-pound of very lean grass-fed beef, so I filled it out with some sliced mushrooms, sauteing them with the onions and garlic. It turns out I'm rather inept with the melon baller, so it took me awhile to scoop out the zucchini shells, even if I was getting the hang of it by the time I got to the last one. I reduced the olive oil by more than half and used a little more to grease the baking dish (recommended!. And using the lean beef, there wasn't any fat, so it wasn't necessary to drain it. Instead of whole leaves, I coarsely chopped the mint. The mint adds a freshness that melds beautifully with the other flavors. Don't forget to allow the stuffing mixture to cool before mixing in the eggs or the heat will cook the eggs! We enjoyed this as a delicious main course served with a mixed green salad and crusty bread. Wonderful!
By operababe_61
Northern CA
on August 19, 2009
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Tasted really fresh and interesting. Loved the minty flavor with the lamb! I also added chopped mushrooms with the onion and garlic. I think this would be great to make for company - it's different, easy, tastes great, and looks impressive.
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