Summer Stuffed Veggies

I love the surprise of slicing into a stuffed vegetable and seeing the filling spill out. Zucchini, especially the ball variety, are perfect for stuffing. The first time I made stuffed zucchini was after returning from a trip to Italy. I had spied them in the window of gourmet shop in Lucca and after one bite knew I would recreate them in my own kitchen. Along with a salad this is a great one dish dinner.

Veal Stuffed Zucchini

1 pound ground veal
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup freshly ground Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
8 globe zucchini
Your favorite tomato sauce (I roasted San Marzano tomatoes from the garden and made a simple sauce)

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add a little salt and zucchini. Parboil until the zucchini are slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from water and cool. When cool slice the top off and scoop out the flesh (you can discard this or save for another dish).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix veal with egg, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stuff each zucchini with veal mixture and top with its lid. Place in baking dish and top with tomato sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 8 as a side course or 4 as an entree.