Zucchini stuffed with meat

How to prepare stuffed zucchini . If there is a recipe with vegetables suitable for those who do not like vegetables but pasta (and especially  meat lasagna ) this is it. Some zucchini stuffed with meat with a soft béchamel sauce and baked with cheese. It goes without saying that we are dealing with a delicious combination. The power of its filling and gratin contrasts with the softness of the freshly baked zucchini.

It is a recipe that admits multiple variations and you can tune it with your  favorite fillings : salmon, tuna, cod, hard-boiled egg, bacon, the meat that you like the most (chicken, turkey, pork, veal, lamb …), seafood, even just from vegetables, they are all good.

The zucchini, like the eggplant although a little softer. It is a vegetable with which you can make many recipes, in addition to these stuffed zucchini, the zucchini lasagna  is to die for, potato omelette and zucchini, just like any ratatouille.

When we buy a zucchini to fill as in this recipe we have to make sure that the zucchini is medium in size, to avoid a greater number of seeds. We have to choose a zucchini that is compact and firm, light in color, shiny and without bruising. To preserve it, it is best to store it in a cool and dry place. If possible, at room temperature, although if it is hot as on these dates you can opt for the fridge, where it will hold you for about 15 days without problem. I leave you with a classic in my kitchen now available to everyone.

Preparation of the zucchini

1. To prepare the zucchini we have several possibilities, normally at home we divide them in two longitudinally but lately and due to the size of the zucchini that my father gives me.
2. We cut them widthwise into more or less equal cylinders about 10 cm in size. As you can see in the video that I present below or in the recipe for zucchini stuffed with chicken and vegetables mentioned . I leave it to your choice, either way they will be very good.
3. We empty them with a dessert spoon or an apple drainer, scrape carefully so as not to spoil the vegetable too much and always leaving at least a finger of zucchini, it must be left with enough pulp. We reserve the zucchini meat on a plate for the subsequent filling.
4. We heat a large casserole with water, when it starts to boil we add 1 generous handful of salt and a splash of extra virgin olive oil, introduce the zucchini for an exact minute and remove. We dry very well with absorbent paper and reserve on a plate.
5. We preheat the oven for 5 minutes at 180º C and put the zucchini in the oven tray in the middle position with temperature up and down. Season and sprinkle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes at 200º C.
6. We remove the zucchini from the oven, drain them carefully so as not to burn ourselves and remove excess liquid and fat from the oven. We try them just in case, they should be soft but with a crispy surface.

Preparation of the meat and vegetable filling

1. We blanch the tomatoes and once skinless we chop them into brounoisse-style pieces, into small squares . Chop the 2 onions, the zucchini that we have reserved (the one to empty the zucchini), the red pepper and the garlic clove, all very finite. We peel and chop the carrot as best as possible, the finer they are the better because they will pass when making the sauce.
2. In a saucepan, add the extra virgin olive oil and add the onions, zucchini and garlic. We let it pass a little (approximately 3 minutes), we introduce the carrots and the red pepper. We cook all the vegetables at low temperature for about 15 minutes and wait for the meat.
3. We season the meat (salt and pepper) (in this case I chose pork and beef, so it is juicier). We put the minced meat in the casserole with the vegetables and spices of your choice (a little oregano, parsley …). Fry for 5-7 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
4. Add the tomato and the glass of white wine, let everything reduce until we have a thick sauce. About 15 minutes over low heat.
5. We check the point of salt and if necessary we rectify. We reserve and let it cool.

Bechamel preparation and final assembly

1. We prepare the béchamel .
2. We put the oven at 200º C so that it is hot when we put the refractory dish with the zucchini.
3. When the bechamel is ready, fill the zucchini with the well-drained meat sauce, using a slotted spoon to drain all the broth. We will let this broth reduce in a saucepan in case we want to garnish the dish, with 5 minutes over high heat we will have a spectacular sauce. Fill each half with two or three tablespoons of béchamel. Sprinkle with the cheese that you like the most and cook for 5 minutes at 220º C.
4. We remove from the oven and assemble the dish with two halves, that is, one zucchini per person. Accompanied with a tomato salad, it will not even painted.

There you have them, serve them very hot. I assure you that it arrives for 4 people generously, I leave you with two preparations. One with the cylinder-shaped zucchini , with a very nice presentation.

Another important tip is not to put zucchini in direct contact with any type of fruit . These release a large amount of ethylene, which would give a bitter taste to the fruits in our basket or drawer of vegetables and fruits. I always have some zucchini as a fridge, at home they are never missing.

In addition, they are usually from my father’s garden , with what they gain in flavor from those you can buy in the supermarket. This recipe, in addition to being inexpensive, is very healthy, full of protein, fiber and carbohydrates and serves as a unique dish.

The other, which is the classic way to fill them in and that you have seen in the video.