Stuffed Zucchini for the One that Got Away!

by Bob Reidmuller

When a home-grown zucchini suddenly balloons into  the size of a canoe,  Bob has a delicious solution. There are no specific quantities or measurements since they all depend on the size of the squash – just use your own judgement and taste preference.

INGREDIENTS:
1 or more large zucchini – 10-24 inches long
Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage – cooked and crumbled
Sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil – chopped
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Fresh garlic, chopped
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
Feta cheese, crumbled
Bread crumbs – fresh, dried, plain or Italian
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook sausage in a skillet with a little olive oil until done and crumbled. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds with a spoon. Bake or parboil the halves until just tender. Scoop out some of the flesh leaving 2 useable shells. Chop up the flesh and mix with whatever your favorite stuffing ingredients might be: bread crumbs, cooked Italian sausage, chopped sun dried tomatoes, fresh Italian parsley, feta cheese and some grated parmigiano reggiano or peccorino romano. Mix together (reserve some of the bread crumbs and cheese) and fill the empty shells. Place in a baking dish, sprinkle with the reserved bread crumbs and cheese, drizzle with  a little extra virgin olive oil and bake in a pre-heated oven until heated thoroughly (about 20-30 minutes). To prevent excess browning, cover loosely with foil for the first half of the baking time.