SAUSAGE & PORTOBELLO STUFFED ZUCCHINI
It’s summer and I’m still spring cleaning. This time it’s the fridge. I am not one of those people that doesn’t like leftovers. In fact, what is better than something that was already delicious, marinating overnight to be recreated with more flavor than it had yesterday? Let’s not forget the fact, that you don’t have to spend your day in the kitchen, to have something healthy to eat!
It’s that time in summer when zucchini and tomatoes are everywhere. My sweet neighbor drops by with gigantic zucchini squash regularly and it’s infiltrated the local farmers’ markets. Besides, you know you are supposed to eat local, organic and in season for the freshest, most nutritious produce.
WELCOME TO ZUCCHINI SEASON PEOPLE!
So I open the fridge and there staring at me is this huge zucchini begging to be cooked in something fancy. But I have leftover Beet Marinara that is waiting too, plus various cheeses screaming- something should be Italian tonight!
Now don’t get mad…but you know when you are cooking leftovers, there really isn’t a recipe to follow. But this is SO easy, you won’t need a recipe. Plus, you have the liberty to stuff it with whatever you feel like!
The secret with a zucchini this big is to cook it before stuffing it. So I washed and sliced it in half and left both ends on as well as the skin. Scoop out the seeds and guts (LOL) and save it for stuffing.
You can put a little water on a baking sheet if you like for steam, but just cover with aluminum foil and roast on 300-400 for around 20-30 minutes depending on how big the zucchini is and how soft you want it. Don’t overcook — it should still be crisp tender because it will cook with the stuffing as well.
I took my leftover Beet Marinara (but you can use any pasta sauce you like) and added 1/2 pound of cooked Italian sausage, or if you want to make more add the whole pound. Just make sure it is quality, from a farm where the animals are forest ranging, grass fed and humanely raised. Otherwise you are killing the healthy factor, by not using a clean source of sausage.
If you are a little short on sauce add a can of roasted tomatoes (pureed in a blender) or tomato sauce. I added pureed, roasted tomatoes to mine.
I sautéed in a dash of olive oil about 16 ounces of sliced portobello mushrooms with the zucchini seed mixture and a mother load of chopped garlic. (3 GIANT elephant garlic cloves. Probably like a quarter of a bulb. They were the biggest I have ever seen! 🙂 Then combine the sauce, sausage, sautéed mushrooms, seeds and zucchini guts (cracks me up every time).
Pile it up and stuff the pre-baked zucchini, wrap foil over the top, and pop back in the oven for 30 minutes at 300. Don’t forget to lower the temperature if the oven was higher before. Remove from the oven and top with cheese — I used a combination of fresh mozzarella slices and an Italian mixture (provolone, parmesan, romano, etc.) then cook about 10 minutes until the top is brown. The zucchini should not be mushy when completely done either. The boat should hold its shape and need a knife to slice, but be crisp tender.
I topped mine with a pizza seasoning and red pepper flakes, as well as chopped fresh basil from my herb garden.
Even though this looks like a lot, it is still very light; with no wheat, pasta or bread included. GLUTEN FREE!! You are looking at a veggie boat loaded with protein, fiber and good fats. Just about excellent for weight loss! You can use little zucchini’s as well but this is a great way to use the giant ones if your garden is overflowing.
It was so amazing, my husband and I ate half the zucchini for dinner and half for lunch the next day. It was great reheated in the toaster oven too! It didn’t need bread on the side, it was filling but not heavy. He just kept commenting on how much he liked the seeds in it and how amazing it tasted. All in all it was lean for Italian comfort food (excluding the cheese.) The ground sausage was from a heritage farm, very little oil, and the rest was veggies with fresh cheese. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I love eating healthy and not skimping on taste, presentation or nutrition. And now you have something new to do with that zucchini that is eyeballing you every time you open that fridge. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
From my kitchen to yours,
Laura