Qarabagħli fil-forn (baked zucchini)

 This recipe holds a special place in my childhood. Dad was always excited to find a "marrow" (oversized zucchini) in the vegetable patch. That meant one thing – baked zucchini for dinner on 
Sunday!

This is a traditional Maltese dish, but as with many traditional recipes, every village has its own variation. In some recipes you will find breadcrumbs or semolina used. These help bind the filling. My dad's recipe never used these – instead we use the cheese and egg to bind it, making this gluten free as well. In some recipes the filling isn’t cooked before being placed into the boat shapes. In that case the filling gives off a lot more juices, so breadcrumbs are essential to hold it together. If you are coeliac and visiting Malta you will need to check, as both recipes are very common.

I have also made this recipe using pumpkin slices instead of onion. The pumpkin adds sweetness and thickens the sauce. Dad said this was "ok", but I got the distinct impression he preferred it with only onion and potato. So in his honour, I've kept today's recipe to his original.

Sometimes the marrow or zucchini grows even bigger than what I have used today. In these cases we slice them into rings and carefully hollow them into a cup shape before filling.

This recipe is best eaten within 3 days of cooking. The high water content of the zucchini means that it doesn’t freeze well and it can lose its shape when reheated.

Serves 4

• 1 large zucchini (marrow)
• 2 tbl olive oil
• 250 g minced pork
• 250 g minced beef
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbl tomato paste
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 150 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated, reserving 1/4 cup
• Fresh parsley

• 1 kg potatoes
• 1 brown onion
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C.

Carefully cut the zucchini in half length-ways. Using a spoon, carefully remove the internal flesh and seeds. Make sure that you do not pierce through the sides and bottom of the zucchini. Do not throw away the inside of the zucchini, as this will also be used in the stuffing. Chop half the reserved zucchini flesh.

In a large frypan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and gently sauté until soft. Add the minced pork and beef and fry until no longer pink. Add the garlic, chopped zucchini flesh and tomato paste, and season to taste. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan and egg, stirring quickly to combine.

Thinly slice the potatoes and onion. Layer the sliced vegetables in a large baking dish, finishing with a layer of potato. Season with salt and pepper. Place the hollowed zucchini boats on top of the potato. Carefully fill the zucchini with the meat filling.

Carefully add water to come up to almost cover the potatoes. Cover the dish with foil. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the zucchini with the reserved Parmesan. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan/210°C. Cook for a further 15–25 minutes until browned.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.