Linguica stuffed zucchini boats make a great side or serve them with a salad and vinaigrette for a nice lunch. Linguica sausage makes up the main component in the filling but you can substitute any sausage you have on hand.

Yield: a side dish for 4 adults.

Ingredients:
3 green zucchini, about 8 inches long
1/4 cup small diced onion
1/4 cup small diced red bell pepper
2 large cloves of peeled garlic, about 2 Tbsp. chopped
2 slices of plain white bread, toasted and diced into very small cubes
1-8 oz link of linguica sausage, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
Wash the squash, trim off the stem end and cut them in half lengthwise.

Using a spoon, scoop out the zucchini flesh and roughly chop it. Put it in a large bowl.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Preheat a small skillet on low heat. Add 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil and get it hot. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook on low, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until your veggies are tender.

Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the cooked veggies to the chopped zucchini flesh. Throw in the toast cubes, linguica, Parmesan cheese, paprika and cilantro.

Mix the ingredients by grabbing handfuls, scrunching it together and mixing. Kind of like the way you would mix a meatloaf. It’s ready when you have a coarse, slightly wet paste that holds its shape when you form it.

Taste it. It should be well-seasoned with salt and pepper.

Brush or drizzle the remaining olive oil over the zucchini halves and lightly season them with salt and pepper.

Stuff the zucchini, evenly dividing the mixture between the six zucchini halves. Gently press in and round out the tops.

Place on a greased baking sheet 1 inch apart and bake for about 35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and tender.

Let sit 5 minutes before serving to let the filling firm up a bit.