I have been making this recipe for a few decades. It is one of my favorite side dishes. My old cookbook is titled “Northern Italian Cooking.” In northern Italy this is called “Zucchine Ripiene al Forno.” This is a lighter version than the southern Italian version called Baked Zucchini Boats. They have a heavier version with tomato sauce and at times use tender potatoes. I absolutely love this side dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and dry the two zucchinis. Cut them in half. Fill a large pot two-thirds with salted water. Bring to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size. The halved zucchini should be barely tender.
Remove from pot and place on a plate. Allow it to cool. When cooled, scoop the inside seeds out and set them in a colander to drain in the sink.
Dry the zucchini halves with paper towels. Coat a baking pan with some olive oil and place the halves in the pan. Set it aside.
When the zucchini cores have cooled and drained, chop and set aside.
In a pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Then add the flour and whisk constantly until the flour has melded with the butter. Continue to whisk while adding the milk until the mixture has thickened. Reduce to medium low heat.
Add the nutmeg, cheese, zucchini cores and ham. Stir until the mixture has completely incorporated. Turn off the heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the breadcrumbs and stir. Evenly divide the mixture into the 4 zucchini halves. If you aren’t ready to eat yet, these can be stored in the refrigerator.
When ready to bake, place the baking pan in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 servings as a side dish or 2 servings as a main dish with a salad.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and dry the two zucchinis. Cut them in half. Fill a large pot two-thirds with salted water. Bring to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size. The halved zucchini should be barely tender.
Remove from pot and place on a plate. Allow it to cool. When cooled, scoop the inside seeds out and set them in a colander to drain in the sink.
Dry the zucchini halves with paper towels. Coat a baking pan with some olive oil and place the halves in the pan. Set it aside.
When the zucchini cores have cooled and drained, chop and set aside.
In a pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Then add the flour and whisk constantly until the flour has melded with the butter. Continue to whisk while adding the milk until the mixture has thickened. Reduce to medium low heat.
Add the nutmeg, cheese, zucchini cores and ham. Stir until the mixture has completely incorporated. Turn off the heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the breadcrumbs and stir. Evenly divide the mixture into the 4 zucchini halves. If you aren’t ready to eat yet, these can be stored in the refrigerator.
When ready to bake, place the baking pan in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 servings as a side dish or 2 servings as a main dish with a salad.