Stuffed Courgettes

Ingredients

• 4 courgettes
• 150g rice
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 egg
• 375g lamb mince
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 250g passata
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsps parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp/ black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5).
2. Cut each courgette in half lengthways and scoop out the centre with a teaspoon, leaving an outside shell about 1cm thick. Chop the flesh and reserve.
3. Chop the tomatoes, peel & chop the onion
4. Peel & crush the garlic
5. Place the courgettes in a shallow oven proof dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until tender.
6. Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pan of boiling water for 12–15 minutes until just tender. Drain, allow to stand for 5 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes, beaten egg, and pepper to season. Set aside.
7. Dry fry the lamb over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the onion and garlic, cook for a further 5 minutes until the onion has softened.
8. Stir in the passata, reserved courgette and rosemary. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes. Stir in the rice mixture and mix together.
9. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the courgette cases and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crispy on top.

Serve with a crispy green salad.