This dish of courgettes stuffed with a light cheesy filling and then baked in a tomato sauce can be served as a starter, a snack or an accompaniment to a main course. It also has the advantage of being ideal to make in advance, chill and then reheat when required.
preparation time 30 minutes
cooking time 20 to 25 minutes
serves 8 as a starter or accompaniment, 4 as a main course
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
250 g (8 oz) ricotta cheese
25 g (1 oz) fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
75 g (3 oz) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 egg yolks
8 large courgettes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, .1 gas mark 5.
2 Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the mixture has gained body. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then remove from the heat.
3 Mix the ricotta cheese, basil, nutmeg, Parmesan and egg yolks together in a bowl until they form a firm paste and then season well with salt and pepper.
4 Cut the courgettes in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh. Chop the flesh finely and stir into the ricotta and Parmesan cheese mixture. Fill the courgette shells with this mixture and place them in an ovenproof serving dish.
5 Pour the tomato mixture around the stuffed courgettes and bake, uncovered, for 15–18 minutes, until the courgettes are tender and the filling is golden brown.
The filling in this recipe can also be used for stuffing courgette flowers, if you grow your own courgettes or manage to obtain the flowers at a specialist greengrocer’s. For a slightly more adventurous finish, try using a mild, blue-veined Italian cheese, such as dolcelatte.