Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Meat

Zucchinis are fast-growing vegetables, which can sometimes be tricky because the best ones are young and firm — you need to harvest them at just the right moment. But if you happen to miss that window and your zucchini grow a little too large, don’t worry! They’re perfect for stuffing and baking. I used yellow zucchini here, but green ones work just as well.

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped

• 300 g mixed ground meat (beef and pork)

• 1 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or a mix of hoisin and soy sauce)

• 150 ml beef or chicken broth (can be from a cube)

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed

• ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped

• 1 egg, beaten

• 6 tbsp grated Parmesan (or another hard cheese)

• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling:
   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add the ground meat and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and heat for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until some of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat.

2. Prepare the zucchini:
   Preheat the oven to 180°C.
   Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and place them cut-side up in a baking dish. Bake for 6–10 minutes until slightly softened. Remove from the oven and scoop out the seeds and flesh. Finely chop the zucchini flesh.

3. Combine the filling:
   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan, add the garlic, and sauté briefly without browning it. Add the chopped zucchini flesh and cook for about 1 minute. Mix this with the cooked ground meat, half of the beaten egg, half of the Parmesan, and half of the parsley. Stir thoroughly.

4. Stuff the zucchini:
   Fill each zucchini half with the meat mixture.

5. Prepare the topping:
   Mix the remaining Parmesan, egg, parsley, breadcrumbs, and 1 tbsp olive oil with a spoon to form a crumbly topping. Sprinkle this over the stuffed zucchini halves.

6. Bake:
   Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the zucchini are fully cooked.

This dish is hearty, flavorful, and a perfect way to use slightly oversized zucchini.