When I found these cute round courgettes, I just had to make a recipe with them. Stuffed vegetables are my perfect idea of comfort food, while still getting the daily dose of the healthy stuff. The round shapes are especially easy to fill, but you can also use long courgettes cut lengthwise if that is what you can find.

Serves: 4 with a side salad   Total Cook: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

4 round courgettes or 2 medium courgettes cut lengthwise
2 tbsp oil
100 g smoked bacon or lardons
100 g grated Gruyère cheese or 75 g Pecorino
100 ml of double cream
1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan.

2. Cut the tops off the courgettes and scoop out the flesh with a small spoon, taking care to leave 1 cm of flesh all around to hold the shape. Roughly cut the flesh and save for later.

3. Sprinkle the courgette shells with salt and pre-cook in the oven for 20 min.

4. While the courgettes are cooking, dice the onion and chop the garlic. On a medium heat, fry the onions for 10 minutes until soft and transparent, adding the garlic halfway through.

5. Add the bacon and thyme and fry for another few minutes before adding the scooped-out courgette flesh. Cook until the flesh is soft and most of the courgette juice has evaporated.

6. Add the cream and season with pepper. Leave the ingredients to absorb the cream and stir in half of the Gruyère cheese.

7. Fill the courgettes with the pan-fried ingredients. Top with the rest of the cheese.

8. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, turning on the grill for the last 5 minutes for a sizzling cheese topping. Serve with a side salad.