Bolognese-stuffed zucchini bake

Use up your sad looking veggies in this flavoursome recipe

By Silvia Colloca | Oct 28, 2024

I don’t have to teach you that bolognese is one of your best friends in the kitchen. A pot of this rich sauce can be the springboard to myriad wonderful dishes, from the classic pairing with tagliatelle, to the much-loved lasagne. I often stuff leftover sauce between bread slices to make the ultimate jaffle, living proof of my Italian/Australian life.

Using it as a vegetable stuffng is another creative way to make the most of this versatile sauce, and while I have a preference for zucchini, this works just as well with eggplant and capsicum.

Real bolognese takes time to make. Be patient. Fast tracking this sauce will do it a disservice. Of course, you can use a slow cooker or Thermomix, but I’m afraid I’m an old-fashioned pot stirrer.

Yields: 4 - 6

Ingredients

4–5 zucchini
1 handful of freshly grated pecorino
400 g bocconcini, torn

Bolognese sauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 garlic clove, skin on, bashed with the back of a knife
500 g pork and veal mince
200 ml red wine
400 g can chopped tomatoes
500 ml (2 cups) good-quality beef or chicken stock
1–2 bay leaves
salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

Step 1

To make the bolognese sauce, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until the onion is so and translucent, about 2 minutes. Drop in the pork and veal mince and brown over high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon as you go.

Step 2

Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits caught on the base, and simmer until the alcohol has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add the bay leaves, season with salt and cook, covered, for 4–6 hours, stirring occasionally until slightly reduced, thick and rich. If the sauce starts to dry out, add a little water. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Step 3

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).

Step 4

Cut the zucchini in half lengthways. Using a spoon, hollow out the flesh without cutting through to the base. Reserve the zucchini flesh for a later use (great in soups!).

Step 5

Place the hollowed-out zucchini halves in a baking dish, fill with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle with the pecorino. Bake for 25–30 minutes, then top with the bocconcini and bake for a further 5–10 minutes until golden and delicious

Getting dinner on the table for the family can feel like a chore, but with a bit of help from Silvia Colloca, you’ll be armed with the knowledge and recipes to make life in the kitchen so much easier. In Italian Family Food, Silvia shows you how to meal plan and cook like they do in Italy, with wisdom and tricks passed down from generations of clever, thrifty nonnas.