Celebrate peak season zukes by stuffing them with a hearty mixture of sausage, rice, and basil, and then baking them with zippy tomato sauce and lots of Parmesan cheese.
Contains: milk.
What You Get
Zucchini
Yellow onion
Basil
Cooked Rice
Sweet Italian pork sausage
Grated Parmesan cheese
Arrabbiata sauce
What You'll Need
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil.
Step 2
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and flesh with a small spoon, leaving behind a shell about â…“ inch thick. Place cut-side up on the prepared sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Dice half of the onion, reserving the rest for another use (you should have about 1 cup). Pick the basil, toss the stems, and slice the leaves. Squeeze the pouch of rice to separate the grains.
Step 3
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sausage and onions, and cook, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the basil, half of the Parmesan (about ¼ cup), 1 cup of the rice, and ¼ cup of the arrabbiata sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Divide the filling between the zucchini shells, heaping and packing it in. Spoon ½ cup of the sauce over the filling, then sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 30 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer the stuffed zucchini to plates, sprinkle with the remaining basil, and serve warm, with the remaining arrabiata sauce on the side, if desired. Note: The sausage may arrive frozen for freshness. Store it in the refrigerator to defrost before cooking. If you need to defrost it same day, place the sealed package in a bowl of cold water, and leave the tap running in a thin stream for about 30 minutes.