Fresh zucchini, hollowed out into little boats, stuffed with a filling of ground pork, zucchini pulp, the Trinity with lots of garlic and South Louisiana seasonings, baked to a golden brown.
To prepare the zucchini, slice the top ⅓ of the zucchini lengthwise and a small slice on the button side so that they are stable when placed in the baking dish. Use a spoon or melon baller to remove the flesh from the zucchini leaving small “boats”.
Finely chop the zucchini flesh and set them aside, you should have about 4 cups but a little more is fine.
Brush some olive oil on the inside of the zucchini and place them in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 minutes to soften. Set aside.
Finely chop the Trinity and place it in a prep bowl.
Finely chop the garlic and measure all the other ingredients.
Place a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter is bubbly, add the Trinity and saute until starting to brown, about 10 minutes
Add the garlic and continue to saute until aromatic, about 2 minutes,
Increase the heat and add the chopped zucchini. Simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes or until the liquid begins to evaporate.
Crumble the ground pork into the Dutch oven.
Brown the pork, smashing the larger pieces with your spoon.
After about 8 minutes, remove some of the excess rendered fat.
Add the Herb and Spice Blend and mix thoroughly.
Increase the heat and add the stock. Bring the stock to a heavy simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer the stock until has been reduced almost completely. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
Add the breadcrumbs (start with about ½ cup and add more as needed). Stir well to combine all of the ingredients.
Cover the Dutch oven and set aside, off the heat, for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stuff each zucchini boat with the filling, mashing down with your spoon to fill every void.
Top each stuffed zucchini with a light layer of breadcrumbs and Romano cheese. Place two or three small tabs of butter on top.
Place the stuffed zucchini in a prepared baking dish. Add about ½ inch of water to the baking dish, making sure to get water under each zucchini.
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is browned.
Notes
This recipe can be made in advance and held in an airtight container in the fridge until the next day. Leftover Stuffed Zucchini can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. For best quality, make sure to store them n an airtight container.Stuffed Zucchini (baked and unbaked) can be held in the freezer for up to 10 months in an airtight container. A vacuum-sealed bag is the best. Defrost overnight in the fridge and set out on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking for 20 to 40 minutes or until heated all the way through. You can also reheat previously baked Stuffed Zucchini in the microwave. You can substitute fresh pork sausage or Italian sausage for the ground pork. Zucchini can also be stuffed with ground beef, various vegetables, crawfish, shrimp or crabmeat.Up to 1 cup of chopped seeded and peeled tomatoes can be added to this recipe. Drain canned strain fresh tomatoes to remove all juice before adding. Zucchini is a summer squash so the skin is edible. The entire zucchini can be eaten, except for the hard stem part. There usually are not a lot of seeds in zucchini and some people remove those because they can be slightly bitter. I personally just leave the seeds in the pulp.