Zucchini Stuffed with Ricotta

28Jan09

I love pizza night, but regardless of whether I make something new or stick to pepperoni, the complaint is always the same: Where did all the pizza go? Oh, we know where it went. We remember every bite, yet find ourselves wanting more. So this time I planned to make an appetizer to curb our hunger and convince us that one whole pizza was enough after all. Well, mission accomplished.

These are addicting. Made by hollowing out halved zucchini’s and topping it with a mixture of cheese, tomatoes, herbs and toasty bread crumbs, they melt in your mouth, but still offer a satisfying crunch. I knew they ruined me practically from the start.

While cutting and seeding three zucchini, it was clearly more than enough for two people. I reasoned to have at least one, and maybe half of another, then wait patiently for our pizza to bubble in the oven. When I reached my limit of one and a half, I knew I should stop. But I didn’t. Without regret, I ate another. It didn’t occur to me until later in the night that zucchini has a lot of filling power. Very low on calories and fat, each whole zucchini offers 3 grams of fiber. But my gluttony aside, the plan served its purpose. By the time our pizza was ready, I quietly ate two slices and had no desire to return for seconds.

I hope this story doesn’t sound too depressing. If you consider the facts, I simply got too excited about a new recipe and paid the price of not overindulging in homemade pizza. So, my recommendation is to serve these as an appetizer (they hold up nicely straight out of the oven or at room temperature), but cut each zucchini slice in half, or even thirds, to make the offering more bite size. Or, eat until you can’t anymore, but just toss a light salad together for the rest of your meal. Believe me, you won’t need much else.

Zucchini Stuffed with Ricotta

6 medium zucchini (about 2 lbs.), halved lengthwise
7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded,
and chopped
2 cups homemade or store-bought ricotta
3⁄4 cup grated pecorino
3⁄4 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tsp. dried mint, crumbled
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 egg yolks, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,
to taste

1. Using a small spoon, scoop out and discard pulp from each zucchini half, leaving a 1⁄4″ rim around the edges. Heat 3 tbsp. of the olive oil in a 10″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1⁄4 cup of the pecorino, 1⁄4 cup of the bread crumbs, the parsley, mint, oregano, and egg yolks. Fold in the onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set the filling aside.

3. Arrange an oven rack about 7″ from the broiler element and heat. Rub the insides of the zucchini with 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and season lightly with salt. Place zucchini cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and fill each zucchini half with enough of the ricotta mixture that it mounds slightly but doesn’t spill over the edges of the zucchini. Sprinkle each stuffed zucchini with the remaining pecorino and bread crumbs and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Broil until the zucchini are soft and the tops are lightly browned, 10–15 minutes.

Filed under: Appetizers, Vegetables   |  2 Comments