Baked Stuffed Courgettes with Ham and Rice
Halved courgettes filled with a savory mixture of ham, sautéed vegetables, cooked rice, tomatoes and herbs, topped with melted cheese and baked until golden. Served alongside a fresh salad of lettuce, figs and feta, with warm baguette.
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, halved lengthways and hollowed
- ½ red bell pepper, cleaned
- 1 onion, peeled, quartered
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 7 oz ham stripsbacon stripssame weightporksavory
similar smokiness
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- ½ tbsp dried oregano, or thymefresh oregano0.5 tbsp fresh = 0.5 tbsp dried (note: adjust to taste)herbfresh
brighter flavor, less intense
Full guide → - cold cooked rice
- ½ cups grated cheese
- olive oil
- lettuce, rinsed, cleaned
- 2 fresh figs, rinsed, cleaned, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 ¾ oz feta cubes
- dressing, of your choice
- 1 wholewheat baguette, warmwhite baguettesame weightgrainrefined
milder flavor
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 220 degrees convection.
- 2
Wash zucchini and cut lengthways in half. Scoop out flesh with a spoon, being careful not to puncture the bottom, and reserve the flesh.
- 3
Combine cleaned bell pepper, peeled quartered onion, garlic, reserved zucchini flesh and ham strips in a food processor and pulse until coarsely or finely chopped as preferred, working in batches if needed.
- 4
Heat olive oil in a pot and add the chopped mixture with paprika. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add chopped tomatoes, oregano or thyme and cold rice. Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 5
Fill zucchini halves with the meat sauce and top with grated cheese. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
- 6
Rinse lettuce, figs and bell pepper and cut into bite-sized chunks. Toss with feta cubes and dress with dressing of choice.
- 7
Serve baked zucchini with warm baguettes and salad.
Tips
Be careful when scooping out courgette flesh to avoid piercing the bottom, which would cause filling to leak during baking.
Work in batches when using the food processor if all ingredients do not fit at once.
Good to Know
Refrigerate leftover stuffed courgettes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180C oven until warmed through.
Prepare and fill courgettes up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bake when ready to serve.
Serve immediately while courgettes and baguette are warm, with salad on the side.
Common Mistakes
Puncture courgette bottoms to avoid filling leaking into the baking dish.
Overfill courgette halves to prevent mixture overflowing during baking.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
milder flavor
similar smokiness
brighter flavor, less intense
Full guide →milder flavor