Quinoa Stuffed courgettes with Pesto, Parmesan and Pine Nuts
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Recipe type: Main course
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
These quinoa stuffed courgettes with pesto, parmesan and pine nuts are accompanied by a fresh tomato and rocket salad and crispy potatoes.
Ingredients
Stuffed courgette
  • 2 medium sized courgettes
  • 60g quinoa, well rinsed
  • 1 stick of celery, minced
  • 1 shallot or ½ small onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp pesto (shop bought or home made)
  • 2 tbsp parmesan, plus extra for topping (for vegetarians use a vegetarian friendly hard cheese)
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Tomato and rocket salad
  • 4 salad sized tomatoes, thinly sliced using a serrated knife
  • handful rocket
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced wafer thin using a mandolin or knife
  • 2 tsps capers
Roast potatoes
  • 2 medium-sized King Edward or other roasting potatoes, small dice
General
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (fan).
  2. First get your potatoes in the oven, get onto a baking tray, sprinkle with salt and add a glug of olive oil, toss well, then roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until crispy and cooked through.
  3. Next prepare your courgettes. Slice the courgette in half lengthways, then score round the edge of the courgette, leaving 0.5cm border around the edge. Scoop out the seeds and enough of the flesh to create a suitable cavity big enough for stuffing then place on a baking tray or dish. Sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle over a little oil. Bake for 20 minutes to soften the courgette flesh.
  4. Next cook your quinoa. Either check the packet instructions or place in a saucepan and cover in 90mls water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is fluffed up. It should have absorbed all the water, if not drain.
  5. Meanwhile prepare the rest of the filling. Add a tsp of olive oil to a frying pan, then sauté your celery and shallot for a couple of minutes until soft, add the garlic, along with the cooked quinoa and leave on the heat for a minute or so to make sure all the excess water from the quinoa has gone. Remove from the heat, stir through the pesto and add 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. You might also like to add some lemon zest.
  6. When the courgettes have finished their pre-baking remove from the oven and pile in the pesto quinoa stuffing. Top with an extra sprinkling of parmesan and return to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the parmesan has melted and the courgette all cooked through. Top with toasted pine nuts and serve!
  7. Finally to make your salad, lay the tomato slices on a plate and top with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, pile the rocket on top, along with the shallot, then add the capers. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and some black pepper.
Recipe by Ceri Jones Chef at https://cerijoneschef.com/quinoa-stuffed-courgettes/