ZUCCHINI WITH RICOTTA-BASIL MOUSSE

Zucchini With Ricotta-Basil Mousse image

The fragrant cheese stuffing in this recipe from Cooking Light magazine can be used with any mild vegetable, such as bell peppers, mushroom caps, baby eggplant or tomatoes. Save the scooped-out zucchini pulp for risotto or pasta sauce. You can use a mini chopper to chop the herbs quickly, but do not use it to combine the mousse ingredients because it will liquefy the ricotta.

Provided by Tara Parker-Pope

Categories side dish

Time 30m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

6 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or other hard cheese
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Parsley sprigs

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Reserve pulp for another use. Arrange zucchini shells in a single layer in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine basil and next 7 ingredients (through pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Divide mixture evenly among shells, pressing gently. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 63, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 3 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 86 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams