Italian Stuffed Zucchini

This recipe is based on a traditional Italian recipe. I am not a big fan of typical squash and zucchini recipes so I am always searching for creative and interesting ways of preparing them. It gets back to the CSA where you get a box of veggies every week and you've got to figure out what to do with them and enjoy it. The good news is I've found lots of good uses for each.

This one is really good. The kids don't like the zucchini shell so in the second picture you'll see I've chopped up the zucchini with the filling and cooked it in a small round casserole dish. Sometimes I even do that for myself.

Italian Stuffed Zucchini

Based on Closet Cooking Blog recipe

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

2-3 large zucchini

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 Italian sausage, mild or hot (remove casings)

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons white wine

2 Roma tomatoes (diced)

1/2-1 teaspoon oregano

salt

pepper

1 tablespoon basil (chopped or 1/3 teaspoon dried)

1/2 cup mozzarella (shredded)

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)

Directions:

1. Slice zucchini in half and scoop out the middle with a spoon.
2. Bake zucchini's at 400 while you cook in the skillet (assuming ~10-15 minutes).
3. Chop up scooped zucchini and set aside.
4. Brown sausage in skillet at med/hi.
5. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender.
6. Deglaze the bottom of the skillet with the white wine.
7. Add chopped zucchini, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook until little liquid remains.
8. Take off heat, add basil and half of both cheeses.
9. Remove  zucchinis from oven and stuff with the filling and top with remaining cheese.
10. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is brown and zucchini is tender.
11. Take left over filling if there is any (I always have some) and put in small casserole dish and top with cheese.

Note: If you hate having to open a bottle of white wine just to squeeze out 2 tablespoons you may want to buy a four pack of white wine. If I want to drink white then I open the big bottle otherwise I use the little baby bottles.