Stuffed courgettes with Sausage Meat and Cheese (Stuffed Zucchini)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
4 servings as a main, or 8 as a side dish
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Calories
537 kcal
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Course
Side Dish
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Cuisine
International
Stuffed courgettes with Sausage Meat and Cheese (Stuffed Zucchini)
Description
The recipe begins by carefully halving and hollowing the courgettes, preserving their shape as a vessel. Sausage meat is removed from casings and combined with finely chopped courgette flesh, sautéed onions and garlic, tomato paste, breadcrumbs, herbs, salt, and sugar. The filling is spooned into the courgette halves and topped with grated cheddar and optional Parmesan. Baking on parchment-lined trays allows the courgettes to soften without becoming mushy while the filling cooks through and develops a browned crust on top.
The dish highlights a contrast between the mild, slightly crisp courgette and the rich, savory filling that carries the flavors of pork sausage, herbs, and cheese. It can be served as a main meal or side dish, providing a hearty vegetable option with ample protein and flavor.
The size of the courgettes matters to accommodate the filling effectively. Using a melon baller to hollow them preserves the structural integrity. Scoring and peeling sausage casings before mixing ensures a consistent filling texture. The tomato paste adds moisture and depth, while breadcrumbs help bind the mixture. Toppings of cheddar and Parmesan add richness and an appealing browned crust during baking.
Ingredients
For the stuffed courgettes
- 4 large courgette this recipe is based on four large courgettes at 22cm - 25cm in length. This will provide eight courgette halves, whole, not halved
- 220 grams pork sausages this equates to roughly four standard pork sausages (in the UK)
- 50 grams breadcrumbs shop-bought or homemade
- 100 grams cheddar cheese or strong cheese of choice, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs like thyme or parsley, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil like olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, for frying
- 150 grams onion or one large red onion, red, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic or two large, crushed cloves, paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste this is the thick concentrated paste usually found in a tube, small tin or sachet.
Toppings
- 100 grams cheddar cheese or strong cheese of choice, grated
- Parmesan Cheese optional, grated
Instructions
Prepping
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper/parchment paper. Depending on the size of your trays, you may need two trays to accommodate the eight courgette halves.
- Using a large, sharp knife, carefully halve the courgettes lengthways.Tip: Since most courgettes are not perfectly straight and may have a slight bend toward the tip, for evenly cut halves, turn the courgette so the bendy side faces downward before slicing. This will give you two mirror-image halves.
- Using a melon baller or a spoon, scrape out as much of the courgette flesh as possible.Avoid scraping too close to the sides, as you want the courgettes to maintain their 'frame' and act as a sturdy shell for the filling.
- Set the courgette flesh aside for now. We will use it as part of the filling later. If you have very large chunks of flesh, dice it smaller.
- De-skin the sausages by scoring each sausage lengthways with the tip of a knife and then simply peel off the skins.
- Break the sausage meat up with a fork. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, herbs and salt. Give it a stir to combine.
Making the stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and sugar and fry for an additional 2 minutes until the sugar is melted and the onions are lightly caramelised.
- Add the sausage meat and tomato paste, and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat until the sausage loses its pinkness and develops a crumb-like texture.
- Add the scooped-out courgette flesh to the frying pan.
- With the heat still on medium-low, stir-fry the mixture for about 5 minutes until the courgette flesh is soft. Using your spatula, break the courgette pieces into smaller chunks as you stir-fry the mixture.
- Add the warm sausage mixture to the bowl of breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs and salt. Stir the ingredients until everything is well combined.
Fill the courgettes
- Space out the courgette halves on the baking tray (or trays), leaving enough space between each for even heat distribution. Equally fill the courgette halves with the stuffing mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top of each courgette half.
- Transfer the trays to the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes. Cover the trays loosely with foil and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes or until the courgette shells are soft and the stuffing browned and sizzling.
- Serve piping hot with a side salad or alongside your main dish. Optionally, sprinkle over some freshly grated parmesan for an extra cheesy kick.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings as a main, or 8 as a side dish
Amount Per Serving
Calories 537 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 537kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 37g | 57% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 90mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 1008mg | 42% |
| Potassium | 1192mg | 25% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 1323IU | 26% |
| Vitamin C | 64mg | 71% |
| Calcium | 454mg | 45% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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