About recipe

At this time in the growing season, gardens and farms are bursting with zucchini, summer squash, and fresh herbs like basil. Enjoy this healthy, summertime recipe while making use of the ingredients in your garden or CSA!

Photo by Luca Nebuloni

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 2 cups of day old whole grain bread, cubed
• 2 tablespoons walnuts or other nuts
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup basil pesto:
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 3 garlic cloves
• 1 large zucchini or summer squash

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
3. Add the cubed bread. Stir to cover the pieces. Cook until slightly golden brown. Remove bread from pan and set aside in bowl.
4. Add the walnuts and toast for about 5 minutes. Set aside in the same bowl.
5. To the bowl, add parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes.
6. Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, walnuts, garlic. Blend until smooth.
7. Add 1/4 cup of the pesto to the bowl and mix together well.
8. Cut squash in half and carve out the fleshy inside.
9. Scoop pesto mixture into the squash.
10. Place the squash halves on a roasting pan and pour about a cup of water in the pan (so the outside of the squash doesn’t dry out).
11. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Enjoy!