Recipe: The easy way to make stuffed zucchini

Just a handful of ingredients are you all you need to whip up this tasty vegetarian entree.

I love cookbook author Ina Garten’s approach to stuffed zucchini. Many versions call for a long list of ingredients that generally includes sausage, but the Food Network’s star uses a short lineup of strategic team players: garlic, fresh herbs, panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan. The vegetarians in my family adore them.

Make it up to a day ahead if you like, keeping the empty zucchini boats and crumb filling in separate containers in the fridge. Garten says she likes to serve them hot or at room temperature as part of a buffet, adding that a big platter of roasted zucchini looks gorgeous.

Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 medium zucchini (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 garlic cloves)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons matchstick-wide slices of fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim the stem end of zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out a small channel of seeds with a regular teaspoon. Place zucchini in one layer on a rimmed sheet pan, brush generously with oil and turn the zucchini cut side down. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and roast 12 to 15 minutes, until just tender but still firm when tested with the tip of a small paring knife.

2. Meanwhile, make the bread crumb mixture. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, parsley, basil, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add panko and 3 1/2 tablespoons oil; mix well.

3. Turn zucchini cut side up and spoon a heaping tablespoon of panko mixture evenly on each zucchini. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the panko is crispy. (I found that if I put it under the broiler element for 30 seconds or so, it gave the top a nice brown color — but be careful, it could burn easily.) Serve hot or at room temperature.

Source: “Cooking for Jeffrey” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $35)

Have a cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at cathythomascooks@gmail.com