Zucchini Stuffed with Meat and Rice

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Meatball mix

1. 1
   Mix the ground meat with the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, rice, salt and black pepper until evenly combined.

To assemble

1. 2
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 3
   Halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the insides with a teaspoon, leaving walls of about 5 mm.

   KnifeCutting board
3. 4
   Fill the zucchini with the mixture up to ¾ full: the rice swells as it cooks.

   💡Fill only three-quarters full: the uncooked rice swells inside the vegetable, and a full filling gets pushed out.
4. 5
   Arrange the zucchini, now stuffed, in a deep baking dish.

   Baking pan
5. 6
   Mix the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and oil and pour over the zucchini.
6. 7
   Cover the baking dish with foil.

   Baking panAluminum foil
7. 8
   Heat the oil in a wide pot, add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook 0 minutes.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.