Stuffed Eight-Ball Zucchini

By blum099

Ingredients

• 6 - 8 Round (Eight-Ball) Zucchini
• 1 Cup Cooked White Beans
• 1 Cup Pitted Green Olives
• 1/2 Cup Chopped White Onion
• 1/2 Cup Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Drained and Roughly Chopped
• 2 Cups Packed Fresh Spinach
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
• Pinch Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill
• Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Marinara Sauce or Your Favorite Tomato Sauce, to Serve
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut a thin slice off the tops of the zucchini, including the stems, and either reserve for garnish or discard. Using a small spoon with a sharp edge (such as a grapefruit spoon) or a melon baller, scoop out the fleshy innards, being careful not to scrape the walls of the zucchini too thin, and toss it into your food processor.
To the food processor, add in all of the remaining ingredients except for the salt, and give it a whirl. Don't process it until completely smooth, but pulse slowly until everything is broken down and the mixture is pleasingly chunky. Give it a taste before adding salt; because the olives have so much salt to them already, you may not need it at all.
Generously mound the stuffing in the hollow zucchini cups, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the filling is lightly browned and the zucchinis themselves are fork-tender. They're delicious served hot or at room temperature, alongside a smattering if your favorite tomato sauce.
*You could very happily use standard, long zucchini here, too. Just split them lengthwise, remove the interiors as before, and par-bake them, empty, for 10 - 15 minutes (depending on size) before filling and baking as previously instructed.
Serves 6 - 8