Oven-baked zucchini stuffed with tuna and potatoes, a delightful summer main course perfect for the warm season.

I love oven-baked stuffed zucchini without meat and prepare them in countless ways. For example, the other day I made Vegetarian stuffed zucchini with rice and cheese, and this time I stuffed them with potatoes and tuna, without eggs. Yes, I’m a believer in “without this or that” — when an ingredient is missing at home I don’t stop; I improvise and often make very tasty, inexpensive recipes with what I have!

This dish was made with two zucchini I had left in the fridge and a few other ingredients, turning them into a dinner-saver that my children liked as well — and you know them: if they were stranded on a desert island with only zucchini, they would rather starve than eat them!

Let’s go to the kitchen: I’ll tell you how to prepare them and you’ll see they’ll please you too. And if you want to go all out, make the Oven-baked bell peppers stuffed with tuna and potatoes as well — what a show!

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Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Very inexpensive
Preparation time: 45 Minutes
Portions: 4
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

2 zucchini (large)
1 lb potatoes (boiled)
4 oz tuna in oil (drained)
1/2 cup cheese (Grated, such as Grana or Parmesan)
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
to taste parsley
1 pinch garlic
to taste breadcrumbs

Tools

Oven
Baking dish
Bowl
Pan
Knife
Spoon

Steps

Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cook for about 35 minutes or until a fork slips in easily and they are soft. Drain and let them cool until warm.
Rinse the zucchini and cut them in half. Using a knife and a spoon, scoop them out to remove the flesh, then place them in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Sauté the parsley and garlic in a good drizzle of olive oil, add the zucchini flesh (cut into larger pieces where needed), season with salt and let it soften.
Brush the inside of the zucchini with olive oil and bake in a convection oven at 356°F for 10 minutes (15 minutes if using the conventional/static oven mode).
Peel the potatoes and while they are still warm, mash them with a fork or potato masher (if you use a ricer, peeling is not necessary). Add the cooked zucchini, the drained tuna, a handful of Parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil, and mix well.
Remove the zucchini from the oven, fill them with the mixture, sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs, and bake in a convection oven at 356°F for 10-15 minutes. When the desired browning is achieved, remove from the oven, let cool slightly and serve.
Zucchini prepared this way are tastier when served warm. They can be prepared a few hours in advance (no more than 12 hours) and kept at room temperature, then reheated just before serving.
When cooking is complete and just before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
If you liked this recipe, also check out:
– Vegetarian stuffed zucchini with rice and cheese;
– Oven-baked eggplants stuffed with rice;
– Gratinated zucchini risotto with pistachio and pancetta;
– Baked rice with artichokes.