Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Meat and Mozzarella
Juicy stuffed zucchini make a simple yet balanced and nutritious meal. The filling of ground meat, tomato and melted mozzarella delivers a rich flavor, making this dish healthy, tasty and suitable for everyday cooking.
Recipe
For preparing the zucchini
For the meat filling
For gratinating
Instructions
- 1Wash the zucchini, cut them lengthwise in half, and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon to create boat shapes (leave about a 0.5 cm border). Don't discard the scooped-out zucchini flesh - roughly chop it and set it aside for the filling. Lightly salt the empty zucchini boats.
- 2Heat olive oil in a larger pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent (about 5 min). Add the garlic and the chopped zucchini flesh. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes until the water from the zucchini flesh evaporates - this is key so the filling doesn't turn out watery.
- 3Add the ground meat to the vegetables in the pan. Sauté and stir until the meat browns and breaks into small pieces. Mix in the paprika powder, oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
- 4Add the chopped tomatoes (peeled tomatoes) and cook over medium heat for another 5–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the flavors combine. Remove from heat and stir in the pre-cooked rice.
- 5Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Arrange the zucchini boats on a baking tray (you can line it with baking paper). Generously fill them with the prepared meat filling. Bake for 20 minutes.
- 6After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Distribute the mozzarella on top and sprinkle with parmesan. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and turns golden. Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Nutritional benefits
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About the author
Andrejka Poljak
Andrejka Poljak is a licensed personal trainer (AFP) with many years of hands-on experience. In addition to working with clients, she is co-founder of the AdvancedU platform, whose mission is to improve the health of the broader population by providing affordable and professionally vetted access to workouts and verified health-and-movement experts. Her work combines a systematic approach, very high professional standards, and a clear vision of how to bring quality training closer to a larger number of people.
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About the recipe
Nutritional values are calculated per standard 100 g. This allows you to compare different foods more easily and have better control over your intake if you weigh your food.