Genoese Stuffed Zucchini (Zucchine Ripiene alla Genovese) are a traditional dish, prepared and appreciated in many families. Like any classic dish, even Genoese stuffed zucchini over the years have undergone to several changes depending on the area or on the family, thus there are several versions. In fact, everyone prepares them by personalizing the recipe in his own way, perhaps opting for chopped meat, ricotta or mortadella.
Instead, we offer you a delicious version with tuna, anchovy and egg filling based on the aroma of pepper and thyme. Stuffed zucchini are a typical example of how with simple ingredients we can obtain a second course but also a very tasty appetizer.
Let’s see, then, how to prepare excellent Stuffed Zucchini from Genoa.
To prepare the Ligurian stuffed zucchini, first wash the zucchini and boil them according to their consistency: if they are pretty solid you can boil in boiling water for about 6-7 minutes. If instead they were a little soft then you can reduce the times by 1-2 minutes. Drain the zucchini and put them in a bowl with ice to cool quickly in order not to lose the beautiful bright green. When they are cold, remove the ends of the zucchini.
Pour it into a small bowl and add the milk and let it soften. Peel and slice the onion first horizontally and then vertically. Then finely chop and move to the stove.
In a pan heat the oil together with the chopped garlic and the anchovies, let them flake off, stirring often with a spatula, then add the pulp of the zucchini. Mix over high heat for a few minutes and transfer everything into a bowl. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in another pan, being careful not to burn them.
Now that everything is ready, make the stuffing: pour the drained tuna, the toasted pine nuts and the desalted capers into the blender. Finally add the soaked bread and blend to obtain a compact and homogeneous mixture. Add the mixture to the base of onions, anchovies and zucchini pulp. Also add the grated Parmigiano, the beaten eggs and then season with salt, pepper and thyme, then also add the breadcrumbs and mix well with a spatula.
Grease a pan that can contain the zucchini, fill them with the mixture and then place them inside the pan.
Sprinkle the surface with breadcrumbs and bake in a preheated oven, in grill mode, at 250 ° for about 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, wait 5 minutes before serving your Genoese Stuffed Zucchini.
We recommend consuming the freshly prepared Ligurian stuffed zucchini, but if you wish you can keep them in the fridge, tightly sealed, for a couple of days at the most. Freezing is not recommended.
The Genoese Stuffed Zucchini mixture should be compact but not too dry so adjust the consistency by adding milk or Parmigiano as needed.
To empty the zucchini, as an alternative to digging, you can use a teaspoon; be careful not to overdo it; the zucchini must not be too thin! If you want to avoid greasing the pan with oil, you can line it with baking paper!
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