Featured Recipe
Stuffed Vegetables Parmesan
By Kate
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Roasted mixed vegetables hollowed, stuffed with herbed crumb and cheese blend, baked in tomato broth infused with basil and bay leaf. Uses warm vegetable stock to moisten crumbs, fresh basil folded in at last. Poivrons, eggplants, zucchinis, and onions provide varied textures. Farce packs parm and herby notes. Sauce reduces garlic, tomato coulis, and broth for vibrant bed. Oven temps steady, veggies roasted until biting but tender then stuffed and glazed under heat till golden top. Simple, adaptable, vegetarian, naturally dairy except for parm sprinkle. Can swap bread crumbs for ground oats or gluten-free mix. Quick garlic sauté seals flavors. Visual cues trump exact times.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
60 min
Total:
Serves:
4 servings
vegetarian
Mediterranean
main dish
healthy eating
Introduction
Forget blindly following clocks. Cook by feel, scent, sound. Vegetables have personality; eggplants soften but still demand firmness, peppers must hold shape or roast will turn mush. Garlic sizzling blends with tomato acidity in sauce that bubbles with quiet persistence. Filling is glue and breath; too wet and it slumps, too dry and it crumbles. Vegetable flesh used here isn’t filler—it’s foundation. Bread crumbs swollen with warm broth factor in moisture and binder egg snaps everything into place. Basil added just before oven pulls herbaceous brightness and scent soars. Searing lightly before stewing inside the pan or oven softens tough edges, releases sugars. Heat surrounds, penetrates, coaxing aroma; layer flavor by layer. The secret is respecting each stage. Resting after cooking lets juices redistribute—never serve boiling hot. A wink to cooks who know that about their tools and ingredients—that tactile intuition trumps timers.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 20 ml olive oil
- 400 ml tomato purée
- 150 ml hot vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 20 ml fresh chopped basil
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 small bell peppers
- 2 small eggplants, halved crosswise
- 3 medium zucchinis, halved
- 3 small onions
- 50 ml olive oil
- 150 g coarse bread crumbs
- 80 g grated parmigiano reggiano
- 300 ml warm vegetable stock
- 1 medium egg
- 50 ml chopped fresh basil
Vegetables
Filling
About the ingredients
Small adjustments matter here. Bell peppers are sweet not bitter; if no fresh basil, substitute with a teaspoon dried stirred in the sauce early to bloom or add chopped fresh oregano for a twist. Bread crumbs can be replaced with crushed gluten-free crackers or oat bran if gluten intolerant; just hydrate with warm broth thoroughly. Parmigiano reggiano gives salty depth — swap with pecorino or a sharp aged vegan cheese to stay dairy-free. Vegetable broth homemade or store-bought, but ensure it’s warm when added to filling—cold broth slows crumb absorption and can mess with texture. Thick tomato purée better than runny sauce to avoid watery stew. Olive oil good quality because flavor matters in garlic sauté. Don’t skip salting veggies before roasting — vital step for flavor and moisture balance.
Method
Sauce
- Heat olive oil in small pot. Add garlic; sauté gently till fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute, crystal aroma lifting. Add tomato purée, warm broth, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to low simmer, stir occasionally; sauce bubbles softly. Reduce 12 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf, stir fresh basil in, keep warm aside.
- Preheat oven to 185°C (365°F).
- Prepare vegetables: slice calottes off peppers; empty seeds and membranes, set aside caps. Hollow eggplants, zucchinis, and onions—keep 6 mm thick walls to avoid collapse and sogginess. Save scooped flesh apart. If veggies won’t stand, trim flat base carefully.
- Place hollowed veggies upright in oiled baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper. Cover loosely with foil. Roast about 27 minutes until just tender but firm to touch; stems resist slight pressure without collapsing. Pull out to cool slightly.
- In pan set to medium heat, warm a splash of oil. Add reserved vegetable scoops. Cook stirring frequently to dry excess moisture and soften fibers, about 7 minutes; mixture should clump lightly. Let cool a minute off heat.
- Combine softened veg, bread crumbs, grated parm, warm broth, beaten egg, and basil in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. The broth must be warm to hydrate crumbs but not cook egg prematurely.
- Stuff each vegetable generously but not overpacked — leave room for mix to puff while baking.
- Pour reserved basil tomato sauce at bottom of baking dish. Arrange stuffed veggies on top, openings up.
- Return to oven uncovered. Bake additional 27 minutes. Crust should brown lightly, filling expand and firm. Filling visible from sides should look set, top edges slightly crisp. Vegetables fully tender but hold shape, test with skewer inserted carefully.
- Remove from oven. Let sit 10 minutes undisturbed to stabilize juices and texture before serving.
Vegetables
Filling
Technique Tips
Prep vegetables carefully—hollowing too deep leads to soggy bottoms; too shallow yields scant filling. Cut bases flat for stability to avoid ugly tilts. Pan cook reserved vegetable scraps on mid heat; slow until moisture evaporates and mix looks pasty not runny—this is filling’s structural backbone. Warm broth crucial to hydrate crumbs effectively without prematurely setting egg. Mix gently but thoroughly. Stuffing tight enough to avoid air pockets, loose enough to allow heat expansion. Bake uncovered second phase to get crisp edges—foil will steam and soften topping too much. Watch roast as times vary with vegetable size: test doneness by piercing with skewer or touch. Filling browns when surface is golden and firm. Resting is key—cutting too soon leaks filling and juice out. If sauce reduces too much, add a touch extra broth during second bake. To save time, sauce and filling can be done simultaneously. Use sharp knife to loosen filling without puncturing vegetables during prep—avoid fracture.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Prep hollowing precisely. Too deep? Soggy issues. Too shallow yields less filling. Balance room for puff while baking. Trim bases for stability.
- 💡 Garlic aroma starts the sauce. Sauté gently; aim for sweet rather than burnt. Adjust seasoning as needed — taste before pouring.
- 💡 Vegetable broth warm? Yes. Avoid cold broth. Cold interrupts crumb hydration. Makes a difference in filling texture. Warm broths absorb better.
- 💡 Baking uncovered? Crucial for crisp tops. Foil can steam, soften edges, lose texture. Check every few minutes, adjust as needed.
- 💡 Stuffing should not overflow. Puffed during bake is desired; avoid collapse. Could result in filling oozing everywhere. Control the mixture!
