#3616 - Stuffed Zucchini

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 - 8" zucchini
1lb. Italian sausage
1 TBSP olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
salt
pepper
1/2 cup 4C Italian breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded 6 cheese blend cheese
1 beaten egg

Wash each zucchini but do NOT peel. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the pulp from the zucchini halves, leaving about 1/4" pulp still in the zucchinis. Chop the scooped out zucchini pulp--set aside. In a pot of boiling salted water add the zucchini shells--cook/stir 3-4 minutes or until tender but still crisp. Drain the zucchini shells on paper towels (upside down). Remove the sausage casings and crumble the sausage in a skillet--cook/stir over medium heat until sausage is browned. Remove the sausage to a plate but leave the drippings in the skillet. To the drippings still in the skillet add 1 TBSP olive oil and chopped onions--cook/stir over medium heat until onions are soft. Add the chopped zucchini pulp--cook/stir until tender. Add drained sausage--cook/stir until hot. Remove from heat. Place the drained zucchini shells into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle the zucchini shell insides with salt and pepper. Dump the sausage mixture into a bowl--add the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the beaten egg--mix. Evenly stuff all of the zucchini shells with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup shredded cheese evenly over the top of all the stuffed zucchinis. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes or until cheese is browned and zucchinis are hot.