Tender yet full of flavour, stuffed round courgettes make an ideal savoury starter that can be prepared ahead of time. A light but tasty finger food to enjoy in one bite — or maybe two.

Ingredients for 6 small stuffed round courgettes

6 small tender round courgettes
1 egg
breadcrumbs or dried nutritional yeast flakes
fresh aromatic herbs (thyme, mint, basil, …)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180/200°C. Meanwhile, wash and dry the courgettes and the herbs. Cut the top off each courgette horizontally and set it aside to use as a "lid".

IMG_1506 copia — Hollow out the courgettes with a teaspoon and set the flesh aside @ Beatrice Spagoni

Using a teaspoon, hollow out the inside of each courgette, being careful not to break the outer shell. Roughly chop the courgette flesh, then place it in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, crack in the egg, add the herb leaves — roughly chopped if necessary — and adjust the seasoning. Mix everything together and use the mixture to fill the courgettes. Sprinkle the surface with the nutritional yeast flakes (or breadcrumbs). Place the stuffed courgettes in a lined baking tray, rest their respective "lids" alongside them and drizzle with olive oil, then bake for 20–30 minutes until the surface is golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. The stuffed courgettes can be enjoyed both warm and at room temperature.

IMG_1523 copia — Golden and soft, remove the stuffed courgettes from the oven and leave them to cool slightly @ Beatrice Spagoni

How to make stuffed round courgettes