Stuffed Zucchini with Meat and Pine Nuts

Name: Stuffed Zucchini with Meat and Pine Nuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 wide and fat zucchini; 15 ounces tomato sauce or tomato puree, unsalted; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 pound ground lamb; 1 whole onion; 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic; 1/3 cup pine nuts; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon Turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; Pinch allspice; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

User Reviews

5.0

15 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings
6 servings
Calories
355 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

Stuffed Zucchini with Meat and Pine Nuts

Iris Warren

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Stuffed Zucchini with ground beef or lamb, pine nuts, tomato sauce and spices. Low carb, paleo, gluten free, grain free.

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Ingredients

Servings

4 wide and fat zucchini about 2 lbs. total - the light green variety has the best shape and flavor
15 ounces tomato sauce or tomato puree, unsalted 1 can
2 tablespoons tomato paste divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne if you like spicy flavors, use 1/2 tsp
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground lamb you may substitute ground beef or dark meat ground chicken
1 whole onion minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch allspice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes if spice sensitive, omit

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Instructions

If you can find them, light green zucchini work best for this recipe-- they are fatter and shorter than regular zucchini, making them better for stuffing. If you can't find them, choose the widest zucchini you can find, no longer than 7 inches.
Slice the stem ends and bottom tips off of the zucchini, then cut them in half lengthwise.
Use a melon baller to scoop the insides of the zucchini out, leaving a 1/4 inch wall around the edge and a 1/4 inch layer on the bottom of each zucchini. Reserve the part that you scoop out, chop it into small pieces and place it in a bowl. Reserve.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, stir together the tomato sauce or puree with 1 tbsp tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 cup water until well blended.Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the ground meat, breaking it up into little pieces as it cooks, until it is evenly browned (it can be a bit "rare" at this stage).
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the meat out of the skillet and place it into the bowl with the chopped zucchini innards. Drain most of the fat from the skillet, reserving about 1 tbsp. Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the minced onion. Saute for a few minutes until the onion softens and browns a bit. Add the garlic and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes more until fragrant.
Add the ground meat and chopped zucchini innards back into the skillet along with the remaining 1 tbsp tomato paste, pine nuts, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, chopped cilantro or parsley and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce mixture. Stir to blend all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then remove from heat.
Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Place the zucchini halves into the dish (it can be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to make them all fit-- it's okay if they're snug). Fill each zucchini half mounded with the meat filling. Side note: you may have a small bit of filling left over. It never lasts long in our home, but if you have a lot left over you can repurpose it by stirring it together with some tomato sauce, then serving it over pasta, quinoa or rice.
Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the stuffed zucchini, making sure each squash is fully covered with sauce. Pour any excess sauce into the bottom of the dish.
Cover the dish with foil. Bake zucchini at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until squash is tender. Serve warm garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley.

Notes

You will also need: melon baller, 9x13 baking dish, nonstick skillet, nonstick cooking oil spray

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 355kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 55mg (18%) Sodium 473mg (20%) Potassium 872mg (25%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 965IU (19%) Vitamin C 30.2mg (34%) Calcium 50mg (5%) Iron 3.4mg (19%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 355 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	355kcal	18%
Carbohydrates	11g	4%
Protein	16g	32%
Fat	28g	43%
Saturated Fat	8g	40%
Cholesterol	55mg	18%
Sodium	473mg	20%
Potassium	872mg	19%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	7g	14%
Vitamin A	965IU	19%
Vitamin C	30.2mg	34%
Calcium	50mg	5%
Iron	3.4mg	19%