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Zucchini Boats with Pignoli & Feta


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5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Living the Gourmet
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 medium-large zucchinis, halved lengthwise
  • 2 tbs. fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 cups of cooked rice
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
  • 5 cloves of garlic, grilled
  • 1/4 cup of fresh Italian parsley, stems removed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup of crumbled feta
  • 1/4 cup of pignoli nuts, toasted
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar, for the tomatoes
  • Balsamic glaze or honey, for drizzling

Instructions

  • Place the garlic cloves on the heated griddle and let the skin get slightly charred.
  • Heat a griddle and place the halved zucchini on the griddle to achieve a nice char, and the zucchini meat becomes slightly tender to scoop out.
  • Place the rice in a large bowl.
  • Mix together the fresh lemon juice and the olive oil and add to the rice.
  • Add ½ tsp. salt to the rice.
  • Add the sliced celery to the rice.
  • Pop the garlic out of the skin, give a quick chop, and add to the rice.
  • Add the grated Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese to the rice and toss.
  • Place the grape tomatoes in a small cast-iron frying pan and sprinkle with ½ tsp. sugar and ½ tsp. salt.
  • Let the tomatoes get a nice char. Then carefully mash slightly before adding to the rice. Be sure to scrape the pan and add it to the rice.
  • Add the chopped parsley to the rice.
  • Carefully, using a teaspoon, scoop the meat from the charred zucchini and add it to the rice and toss.
  • Add about half of the crumbled feta and a lot of fresh ground black pepper to the rice and toss.
  • Reserving the rest of the feta to top the boats with.
  • Heat a small cast-iron frying pan and place the pignoli nuts in the pan, letting a slight char appear on the pignoli nuts. Quickly, remove the pan from the heat when this is achieved.
  • Fill the scooped-out zucchini boats with the rice mixture.
  • Top the zucchini boats with the charred pignoli nuts, chopped parsley, extra feta cheese, grated Parmesan or Romano, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze or honey.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Vegetarian
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 301
  • Sugar: 4.6 g
  • Sodium: 729 mg
  • Fat: 15.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 37.4 g
  • Protein: 6.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 10.1 mg