Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [253]
Ahead-of-time note The dish may be completed up to this point several hours in advance on the day you are going to serve it. Do not refrigerate. Reheat in a hot oven before proceeding with the next step.
Baked Zucchini Stuffed with Ham and Cheese
For 6 servings or more if served as an appetizer
8 to 10 fresh zucchini
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon onion chopped fine
¼ pound boiled unsmoked ham, chopped fine
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Béchamel Sauce, prepared as directed, using 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1½ tablespoons flour, and ⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Whole nutmeg
1 egg
An oven-to-table baking dish
Butter for smearing and dotting the baking dish
Unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted
1. Soak and clean the zucchini as directed, but do not cut off the ends.
2. Bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil, put in the zucchini, and cook until partly tender, still somewhat resistant when prodded with a fork. Drain, and as soon as they are cool enough for you to handle, cut off both ends, cut each zucchini into 2 shorter pieces, then cut each piece lengthwise in half. Using a teaspoon, gently scoop out the zucchini flesh, taking care not to break the skin. Discard half the scooped out flesh, and coarsely chop the other half. Set both the chopped flesh and the hollowed zucchini aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400°.
4. Put the butter, oil, and onion in a skillet, turn on the heat to medium, and sauté the onion just until it becomes translucent. Add the chopped ham, and cook it for about 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Add the chopped zucchini flesh, turning it to coat it well, and turn the heat up to high. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the zucchini becomes colored a rich gold and acquires a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, stir quickly once or twice, then transfer the contents of the skillet to a small bowl, using a slotted spoon or spatula.
5. Prepare the béchamel, cooking it long enough to make it rather thick. Pour the béchamel into the bowl with the sautéed zucchini flesh, mix, then add the grated Parmesan, a tiny grating of nutmeg—about ⅛ teaspoon—and the egg, and mix quickly until you obtain a uniform blend of all the ingredients.
6. Smear the bottom of the baking dish with butter. Place the hollowed-out zucchini in the dish, skin side facing down. Fill each one with the béchamel and zucchini flesh mixture, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and dot with butter.
7. Place the dish on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a light golden crust forms on top. After taking the dish out of the oven, allow it to settle for 5 to 10 minutes before bringing it to the table.
Ahead-of-time note You may complete the dish up to this point several hours in advance on the same day you are going to serve it. Do not refrigerate.
Hollowed Zucchini Stuffed with Beef, Ham, and Parmesan Cheese
For 6 servings
10 fresh zucchini, about 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter
3 cups onion sliced thin
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted with 1 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons milk or more
⅔ slice good, firm white bread, crust trimmed away
½ pound ground beef, preferably chuck
1 egg
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped prosciutto OR boiled unsmoked ham
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Soak and clean the zucchini as directed, slice off both ends, and cut each zucchini into 2 shorter pieces. Using a vegetable corer, or the blade of a peeler, or any narrow enough sharp tool, hollow out the zucchini pieces, taking care not to pierce the sides. Keep the thinned-out wall of the zucchini at least ¼ inch thick. The scooped out flesh is not needed in this recipe, but you can use it in a risotto or a frittata.
2. Choose a saute pan that can subsequently accommodate