Cauliflower at Four: Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Two Ways

About three months ago, Andrea's cousin invited us over for dinner asking only that we bring gelato for dessert. Alessandra is a busy mother of five who also works part time, and yet she pulled off a simple but delicious dinner for all eleven of us: stuffed zucchini, a simple salad of just lettuce (dressed with salt and olive oil), a platter of cured meats, and focaccia. The stuffed zucchini was so delicious that I had seconds, then thirds, and I couldn't stop raving about it! I've been reminiscing about that dinner since that night, and this week I finally asked my mother-in-law to teach me the recipe. These stuffed zucchini can be served as a side to a meal or if cut into small squares make a great addition to a platter of appetizers.

Ricotta and Prosciutto Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini ripieni

Ingredients:

3 medium sized zucchini

1 and 1/4 cup ricotta (200 g)

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

3/4 cup prosciutto (or meat of choice)

Table salt

About 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Wash zucchini and cut off ends

2. In a pot large enough to hold the zucchini, bring salted water to a rolling boil. Add zucchini and let cook for 5 minutes.

Note: I never grew up salting cooking water, but in Italy that rookie mistake can land you in one of Dante's nine circles of hell....

3. After 5 minutes, drain the zucchini and immediately rinse under cold water.

4. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and with a spoon scoop out the soft center.

5. Set the empty zucchini "hull" aside and begin to rid the zucchini pulp of excess water by squeezing it between your hands.

6. Chop the pulp into very fine pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.

7. Along with the pulp, add ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, prosciutto, and salt to taste. Mix well.

(In this picture, the zucchini pulp is hidden underneath the prosciutto.)

8. If after mixing all the ingredients the texture of the filling is too soft, add a couple spoonful of breadcrumbs. The filling should be soft but malleable.

9. Pour a little olive oil and water into the bottom of the pan that will be used to bake the zucchini in the oven. Don't add too much liquid, just enough to cover the bottom with a bit of moisture. This extra moisture will ensure that the zucchini doesn't dry out while baking.

10. Place the empty zucchini hulls in the baking pan and stuff them.

11. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the stuffed zucchini and sprinkle the tops with parmesan cheese, which will give the finished zucchini a golden crust.

12. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes. When the top is lightly golden, the zucchini are ready to be pulled out.

Ricotta and Spek Stuffed Globe Zucchini

I don't like and don't eat a lot of meat, but when I tried the ricotta and spek stuffed zucchini at Alessandra's house I couldn't stop eating! If you can't find spek, cubed ham would work as well. The stuffed globe zucchini looks fancier than the classic green zucchini, but it's practically the same recipe with a little modification of how to cook the globe zucchini well before they go in the oven.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized globe zucchini

1 and 1/2 cup ricotta (or 200 grams)

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

3/4 cup spek (or meat of choice)

Table salt

About 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Wash zucchini and cut off top.

2. Make a deep cross incision in the zucchini flesh and with a spoon scoop out the center.

3. Bring one pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the empty globe zucchini for 5 minutes.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pan and cook the zucchini pulp until it is soft (about 10 minutes). Salt as needed.

Note: The zucchini can be finely chopped before or after this step.

5. After 5 minutes of boiling, drain the globe zucchini and immediately rinse with cold water. In order to prevent the empty globe zucchini from breaking, you'll need to ladle them from the pot and gently place them in the colander. Leave them to cool.

6. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, spek, zucchini pulp, and salt to taste.

Note: If you'd like to make the consistency of the filling smoother, blend the pulp with a hand blender until it resembles a purée before mixing it with the other ingredients.