Cannellini Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Pecorino
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Healthy Recipe Ecstasy
Recipe type: Entree/Side Dish
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
Stewed Beans:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped pancetta
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 dried hot red chilies
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1 28-ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
2 15.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon finely chopped marjoram
Freshly-ground black pepper
Zucchini Boats:
4 large zucchinis
½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
⅓ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly-ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
Stewed Beans:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fat is rendered.
Turn heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic and chilies and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and just starting to brown, 8 minutes.
Stir in the rosemary and sage and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and bring just to a simmer. Then, add the beans to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove the chilies unless you have someone in your household who likes to chomp on red hot chilies (I do).
Stir in the marjoram and freshly-ground black pepper to taste. At this point, you can serve the beans as a side dish. However, if you would like to make the zucchini boats, read on.
Zucchini Boats:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut each zucchini in half, vertically. Then, use a small ice cream scooper or a melon baller to scoop out the seeds and insides of each zucchini.
Mix the Greek yogurt into the stewed beans. Next, fill each zucchini with ⅓ cup of the bean and yogurt mixture.
Sprinkle the Pecorino cheese evenly across each zucchini boat. Finally, top with freshly-ground black pepper to taste and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
NOTE: You will use approximately half of the beans for the zucchini boats, which means you will have leftovers beans which you can eat as a side dish, make more boats or get creative like I did!
Recipe by Healthy Recipe Ecstasy at https://www.healthyrecipeecstasy.com/cannellini-stuffed-zucchini-with-tomatoes-and-pecorino/