Stuffed 8-ball zucchini

• 10 minutes to prepare • 40 minutes to cook • Serves 4

The most tasteful 8-ball pool

 

Stuffed vegetables are an excellent solution: they can be transformed into unique and tasty dishes that are suitable for any occasion.

There are many ways to prepare stuffed vegetables, choosing from the qualities that best lend themselves to this type of recipe, such as onions, zucchini flowers or peppers. Sometimes these dishes are part of Italian tradition.

There are several variations of this recipe, which often changes depending on the area or even from family to family, perhaps opting for ground meat, ricotta or mortadella. 

We instead propose a very tasty version with a filling made of speck ham, and cheese enriched by the aroma of pepper. Stuffed zucchini are the typical example of how simple ingredients can lend themselves to both a main course as well as a tasty appetizer. 

Here are ingredients for the 4-serving recipe:

 

4 8-ball zucchini
100 g mozzarella cheese
100 g speck ham
1 onion
25 g grated Parmesan cheese
EVO oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
2. Slice the tops off each zucchini. Hollow out each zucchini, chop, and reserve the pulp
3. Chop the onion and set it aside
4. Cut the speck ham crosswise into 1-cm pieces. Add it to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the bacon has browned and rendered most of its fat
5. Add the reserved zucchini pulp, and onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion begins to soften
6. Remove the pan from the heat and add 2/3 of the cheeses reserving some for the topping. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed
7. Sprinkle each hollowed zucchini lightly with salt and pepper and stuff it with the mixture. Place the stuffed zucchini in a shallow baking dish covered with parchment paper
8. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 200 degrees
9. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and add the remaining cheese to the top of each zucchini. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 20 more minutes or until the zucchini is tender
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly

Nutrition Facts are listed for this recipe in the table below. Data is provided per serving.