Stuffed Zucchini That Hold Their Shape in the Pot

Stuffed zucchini hold together in the pot when the wall left after scooping is thick enough and the filling isn't packed in tight.

Scooping and choosing the zucchini

Pick medium, firm zucchini rather than large or soft ones, since a large zucchini tends to give under the weight of the filling. After trimming the top, scoop the inside with a spoon, leaving a wall about 1/8 inch (3 to 4 mm) thick. Too thin and it tears as the rice swells during cooking, too thick and there's barely room for filling. Mix raw rice and ground beef with a little of the sauce, then fill loosely. Rice absorbs liquid and expands, and a tightly packed filling pushes the wall from the inside until it splits.

Don't throw out what you scoop: chop it finely and stir it into the sauce simmering around the zucchini, so its flavor comes back into the dish instead of going to waste.

Arranging them in the pot

Stand the zucchini upright, packed close together in a single layer, so they lean on each other instead of falling on their side. A narrower pot works better than a wide one. Pour the sauce up to about half the height of the zucchini, bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cover. Don't stir or move them while they cook, since any shift stresses the weakened wall. Simmer 1 to 1.5 hours and check doneness with a skewer only at the end.

This suits a Friday cook during Sukkot week: the covered pot waits on the hotplate and serves as a hot Shabbat-and-holiday lunch with no further cooking.

The recipe

Stuffed Zucchini That Hold Their Shape in the Pot

Zucchini stuffed with rice and ground beef, simmered upright in a narrow pot until tender, without stirring.

• Servings 6 servings
• Prep 25 min
• Cook 1 hr 15 min
• Total 1 hr 40 min

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Ingredients

• 6 medium, firm zucchini
• 10.5 oz / 300 g ground beef
• 1/2 cup / 100 g raw rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cups / 500 ml tomato sauce or passata
• 1 tbsp sugar (to balance the acidity)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Trim the top off each zucchini and set it aside. Scoop the inside with a spoon, leaving a wall about 1/8 inch (3 to 4 mm) thick.

2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef, raw rice, onion, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper with 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce.

3. Fill each zucchini loosely, without pressing, and put the tops back on.

4. Arrange the zucchini upright and packed together in a pot, in a single layer.

5. Mix the remaining tomato sauce with the sugar and lemon juice, and pour it into the pot up to about half the height of the zucchini.

6. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours without stirring or moving the zucchini.

7. Check with a skewer that the rice is tender, and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my stuffed zucchini fall apart?
Usually a wall left too thin after scooping, or filling packed too tight for the rice to expand into.

Can I prep ahead?
Yes, scoop and fill the day before, keep covered in the fridge, and cook the day you serve.