Stuffed zucchini with minced beef and tomato sauce

Main course Oven Mediterranean Healthy Summer Family

Stuffed zucchini is one of those dishes that looks impressive but is actually surprisingly simple to make. You scoop out the zucchini, fill it with a flavorful mixture of minced beef and herbs, pour tomato sauce over everything and pop it in the oven. For this recipe you'll use a roomy Cookinglife baking dishes so all the zucchinis fit nicely side by side and the sauce can soak in. Serve it straight from the dish at the table and enjoy together.

Recipe

Stuffed zucchini with minced beef and tomato sauce

Baked stuffed zucchini with a savory filling of minced beef, herbs and tomato sauce. Easy to make, great for sharing.

Course	Main course
Kitchen	Mediterranean
Servings	4 people

Preparation time

Preparation time	20 min
Time in oven	25 min
Total	45 min

Equipment

Baking dish
Frying pan
Spoon or dessert spoon
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Grater

Ingredients

4 medium zucchinis
400 g minced beef
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
400 ml passata (canned tomato purée)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika powder
100 g grated mozzarella or aged cheese
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make stuffed zucchini with minced beef and tomato sauce?

Preheat the oven to 200°C (conventional heat).
Halve the zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Keep the flesh, because it will go into the filling. Leave a rim of about 1 cm so the zucchini keeps its shape.
Chop the zucchini flesh coarsely. Finely dice the onion and garlic.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic gently for 2 minutes. Add the minced beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through.
Add the chopped zucchini flesh to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with the dried oregano, paprika powder, salt and pepper.
Pour the passata into the baking dish and spread it evenly over the bottom. Place the hollowed zucchini halves on top.
Generously distribute the minced beef filling over the zucchini halves. Press the filling down lightly.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the stuffed zucchinis. Put the baking dish in the oven uncovered and bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the fresh basil over it. Serve straight from the baking dish with crusty bread or a green salad.

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This recipe works best if you choose zucchinis of a similar size so they cook evenly. Feel free to vary the filling: lamb mince, diced feta or a handful of pine nuts give the dish a different twist each time. The tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish keeps the zucchini juicy and prevents it from drying out in the oven.

Making this dish ahead of time? No problem. Fill the zucchinis, cover the dish and store it in the fridge. Then slide it straight into the oven and add 5 minutes extra baking time. Leftovers can be stored easily in the same dish and reheated the next day in the oven or microwave.

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