Romanian Stuffed Zucchini – Dovlecei Umpluți
Tender zucchini filled with seasoned pork mince, onion, garlic and herbs, baked in a rich tomato sauce and served with polenta, sour cream and fresh dill.
Ingredients
- 2 straight zucchini
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml vegetables stock
- 500 gr pork mince
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1-2 bay leaves
- bunch mixed herbs
- semolina
- sour cream
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into equal-sized blocks.
- Carefully hollow out the centre of each piece, leaving the bottom intact. Set the zucchini flesh aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Finely chop the onion.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until translucent.
- Add the chopped garlic and zucchini flesh and cook until soft.
- Add the mixed herbs, half of the chopped dill and the sweet paprika. Mix well, then turn off the heat.
- Mix the cooked vegetables with the pork mince. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fill each hollow zucchini piece with the pork mixture.
- Arrange the stuffed zucchini in a large ovenproof pot.
- Mix the chopped tomatoes with the vegetable stock and pour the mixture around the zucchini.
- Add the bay leaves to the sauce.
- Sprinkle a little semolina over the tops of the stuffed zucchini.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the lid and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the zucchini are tender and the tops are lightly browned.
- Serve hot with polenta, sour cream and the remaining chopped dill.