Baked Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Meat and Fresh Herbs

Wash the zucchini, trim off the ends, and cut them in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving a wall about 0.5 cm thick. Finely chop the scooped-out flesh and set it aside.

In a pan, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring, until browned.

Add the chopped zucchini flesh and garlic to the meat. Cook for another 5 minutes to let the liquid from the zucchini evaporate. Stir in the tomato passata, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes until the filling thickens.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the hollowed-out zucchini halves (boats) in a baking dish and season lightly with salt.

Fill each zucchini half with the prepared meat filling. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil, sprinkle the zucchini with grated cheese, and bake for another 10–15 minutes until the cheese turns golden. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.