Ricotta stuffed zucchini with tomato coulis
It's peak summer vegetable glut time
Welcome to To Vegetables, With Love, a celebration of a vegetable life, less ordinary. Find archived recipes on my recipe index.
My book Tenderheart is available from Books are Magic, Kitchen, Arts and Letters, Book Larder, Bold Fork Books and also here or here.
I write today from the other side of the world (from where I usually am!). It’s cool here, but so pleasantly so. While New York is experiencing yet another heatwave and extreme humidity, I am experiencing the joys of a mild and sunny Sydney winter.
Coming home always disorients me. Not necessarily in a negative way, but the adjustment is never easy. This week has been one of deep reflection. But the discomfort is a privilege. I am easing the transition with family time and really good food.
I prepared a few summer recipes before I left New York. Here is one of them.
🥦 My cookbook, Tenderheart is for cooking vegetables, all year round. Pick up your copy here. It is also mostly vegan (or vegan-izable) and gluten-free adaptable.
THIS WEEK’S RECIPE
Ricotta stuffed zucchini with tomato coulis
© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love
The tomato coulis can be served cold - if you’d like to do that, place it into the fridge to chill while you prep the zucchini boats.
Note, this serves 2, with bread or another accompaniment like pasta or couscous. Scale up for family size serving.
Serves 2
Tomato coulis
450g tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
10 basil leaves, torn
1/2 teaspoon red chili (pepper) flakes
salt and pepper
Zucchini boats
2 large zucchini (600g / 21-ounces)
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
350g (12-ounces) ricotta
1/2 - 1 teaspoon red chili (pepper) flakes
salt and black pepper
chopped chives, to serve
Place the tomato, olive oil, garlic and basil into a small blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in the red chili (pepper) flakes and season well with about 1 teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper.
Preheat oven to 220˚C / 450˚F.
Halve each zucchini lengthwise. Using a small spoon, hollow out the flesh of each zucchini half, leaving a 1/2 cm (1/4-inch) thickness around the edges to create a boat. Place them cut side up on the baking sheet.
Chop up the zucchini flesh and add them to a bowl, along with the chives, garlic, ricotta, red chili (pepper) flakes and season well with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and lots of black pepper.
Spoon the ricotta mix into the zucchini boats, filling them up in a mound. Drizzle with olive oil and place into the oven. Roast until the zucchini is just tender and the tops are lightly golden, about 20 - 22 minutes. If you would like a more burnished top, grill for 1-2 minutes, watching it closely so it doesn’t burn.
Spoon some of the tomato coulis onto a deep, rimmed plate or shallow bowl. Place the zucchini boats on top, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and scatter with chives.
To Vegetables, With Love is my love letter to vegetables and I put in many hours every week to bring you new recipes. Thank you to everyone who subscribes, especially to paid subscribers who make this work possible.
Oh boy does this look good! 😍
This looks so good and perfect for the season! Can’t wait to give it a try!