In spring and summer, I often prepare stuffed zucchini, especially when I want a second course different from the usual meat slice. The stuffed zucchini with ham and mozzarella is my latest version of this dish, which is added to other tasty variants: the classic stuffed zucchini with meat, those stuffed with tuna, or the round zucchini stuffed with rice, excellent as a single dish. The preparation of stuffed zucchini with ham and mozzarella is very simple, and the result is always delicious, whether you serve them hot or at room temperature. The trick to impeccable cooking is to briefly blanch the zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise, to soften both the skin and the inner pulp, which will then be used for the filling. Once extracted and minced, the pulp is mixed with chopped cooked ham and mozzarella, enriched with a sprinkle of Parmesan and an egg to ensure perfect cohesion of the ingredients. Stuffed zucchini with ham are a recipe that easily adapts to any occasion, making it ideal for a family lunch or an informal dinner with friends.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 252.10 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 8.90 (g) of which sugars 0.15 (g)
- Proteins 21.03 (g)
- Fat 16.02 (g) of which saturated 7.90 (g)of which unsaturated 5.32 (g)
- Fibers 2.25 (g)
- Sodium 531.89 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 258 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Stuffed Zucchini with Cooked Ham and Mozzarella
If you are celiac, besides using gluten-free breadcrumbs, ensure that the cooked ham has the “gluten-free” label.
- 1.76 lbs zucchini
- 3.5 oz cooked ham
- 5.3 oz mozzarella
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- as needed breadcrumbs (for me gluten-free)
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 drizzles extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot large
- 1 Melon Baller
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Teaspoon
How to Prepare Stuffed Zucchini with Cooked Ham and Mozzarella
For the English version of this recipe click here!
To prepare stuffed zucchini with ham and mozzarella, start by washing and trimming the zucchini. Choose zucchini as large and straight as possible to make your work easier. Cut them in half lengthwise (1) and blanch them in slightly salted water for 5-6 minutes (2). They should not be cooked too much, or they will break when you remove the pulp. Drain them, let them cool, and with a knife, score them along the skin, without cutting all the way through (3).
With a melon baller, start to gently scoop them out (4), leaving a few millimeters of pulp on the sides and bottom of the zucchini; lightly salt them (5). Discard about one-third of the obtained pulp, mince the rest finely with a knife (6), and place it in a bowl.
Finely chop the cooked ham (7) and the mozzarella (8). Choose a rather dry mozzarella, or let it drain well once chopped to eliminate excess water. Combine in the bowl the zucchini pulp, the cooked ham, the mozzarella, the egg, and the Parmesan. Lightly salt and mix everything with a spoon (9).
Then proceed to fill the zucchinis: with the help of a teaspoon, fill the zucchini shells, forming a fairly thick layer. Compact it well with your fingers or with the back of the teaspoon (10). Lightly sprinkle them with a bit of breadcrumbs (11).
Place the stuffed zucchini with ham and mozzarella in a baking dish lightly greased with oil and top them with a drizzle of oil (12). Bake them in a preheated oven at 392 °F (static) for about 30 minutes, until they are slightly golden on top (13).
Remove the stuffed zucchini from the oven and serve them hot or warm, as an appetizer or as a main course.
Storage
If there are leftovers, you can store the stuffed zucchini in the refrigerator for a couple of days and then briefly reheat them in the oven or microwave before enjoying.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of cooked ham?
You can replace cooked ham with mortadella or speck in the same quantities. Consider that speck is saltier, so avoid adding salt to the filling.
What can I use instead of mozzarella?
You can use another cheese of your choice, such as scamorza, emmental, fontina, gruyere…
