Chickpea stuffed courgettes

Ingredients

• 4 round courgettes (or 2 large normal courgettes)

• 1 tin chickpeas

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 carton passata (250g)

• Vegan cheese, grated (optional)

• Basil and oregano (optional)

Scrummy stuffed courgettes with chickpeas

This delicious stuffed courgettes dish is sure to impress and it’s a lot simpler than it looks. Enjoy this courgette and chickpeas recipe on its own as a light lunch or serve with potates, salad, rice, pasta or cous cous for a tasty dinner.

Step 1 Heat the oven to 180°C. If using round courgettes, remove the top and if using normal courgettes, cut them in half lenghways. Using a spoon, hollow out the courgettes, leaving roughly 1.5cm thickness all round. Place the scooped-out courgette flesh to one side, then arrange the courgette skins on a baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Step 2 Roughly chop one onion and cook on a low heat in a frying pan for a few minutes. Meanwhile, remove seeds from the courgette flesh and chop the rest, then add to the pan and stir in. Finely chop the garlic clove and add to to the pan, Cook for roughly one minute, then add the half a carton of passata. Simmer for a minute or two.

Step 3 Drain the chickpeas and add to the pan. If you wish, you can add fresh or dried basil, oregano or mixed herbs now. Simmer for a few minutes until the courgettes are ready to come out of the oven.

Step 4  Remove the courgettes from the oven. Using a large spoon, carefully fill the courgettes with the chickpea and tomato mix. Add the cheese to the top. If there’s too much filling, save it and serve it on the side of the plate later.

Step 5 Place the courgettes back in the oven for around 20 minutes. When they’re ready, the courgette will be soft when you poke it with a fork. Serve alone, or with a side of your choice.

Tips You can, of course, use normal cheese if you’re not vegan. You could also add breadcrumbs to the top of the stuffed courgettes instead. If you don’t have passata, add half a tin of tomatoes and squash it with a potato masher.

^{Got a question? Get in touch at helloplanetetica@gmail.com}