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Who says it has to be Zucchini season to share ALL my favorite zucchini recipes? NOPE … not ME! I am an ALL season zucchini lover. And to be honest, I’m not really a great rule follower when it comes to eating my favorite foods. That’s why I am so excited to share this quick and simple recipe for sausage, broccoli rabe and risotto stuffed zucchini.
I came up with this recipe one day as I cleaned out the fridge. I had a few zucchini and sweet Italian sausage that needed to be cooked before they expired so decided it would be fun to try my hand at making my first zucchini boat. Since I was already on a mission to clean out my refrigerator, I grabbed some leftover broccoli rabe and saffron risotto to add into the mix. These just happen to be a few of my favorite flavors and I knew the combination of putting them all together would be nothing short of a next level stuffing for the zucchini.
You have got to give this a try! I promise it won’t disappoint. I dropped a few tips and tricks below for you to check-out before getting started.
Oh and don’t forget to let me know what y’all think when you do….
A few tips:
- Use a medium sized zucchini so there are not too many seeds. I like to add the pulp to filling and don’t like it when its seedy.
- Score the zucchini halves with a knife around the edges with a slight margin so the filling can sink into the zucchini wihout spiliing out. Using a melon baller to scoop out the flesh also helps, but a spoon works just as well.
- Cover the zucchini with foil for the bulk of the cooking time. This allows the zcchini to steam through and soften while in the oven. Remove the foil and let the zucchini continue to bake until golden brown on tops and the cheese melts.
- Swap out sweet italian pork sausage for italian chicken sausage.
- You can totally use your favorite rice (brown, white or other yellow rice).
Pair this with your favorite tomato salad, mangia and enjoy!
Chances are if you love zucchini as much as I do you’ll want to check out my Zucchini Recipe Round Up
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Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Zucchini
- 1 cup Cooked arborio rice I use saffron rice
- 2 links Sweet Italian sausage removed from casing
- 1 small Shallot diced
- 1 cup Broccoli di rabe parboiled
- 1/2 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese or romano
- 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, score the perimeter of the zucchini half (leaving a slight margin on the sides). Scoop out flesh with spoon or melon baller. Set aside.
- Saute sausage and shallots until cooked through. Add the zucchini flesh and saute another few minutes. Mix in the broccoli to combine. Season to taste. Remove from burner.
- In a bowl, combine panko bread crumb, grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle inside of each zucchini with grated cheese. Stuff the zucchinis with sausage, broccoli rabe and risotto filling. Top each zucchini with panko bread crumb mixture. Drizzle or spray with a little evoo. Line up in baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20/25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cheese melts and tops are slightly crispy.