Papoutsakia: Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Slice the zucchini in half and scoop out the pulp leaving a half-inch border. Chop up the pulp and set aside.

Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and place the in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over them and season both sides with salt and pepper. Roast them in the preheated oven until fork-tender. About 25 minutes.

Place the zucchini boats on top of the potatoes and drizzle them with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and bake them for about 10 minutes so that they can soften a little bit.

Finely chop the onion and cook with the olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the grated garlic and warm through for a few seconds. Add the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Break the meat up and cook until no longer pink. Add the zucchini pulp and cook until softened. Add the crushed tomatoes and the crushed red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the dried oregano and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Combine the oil and flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to toast the flour. Add the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk together and cook until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. In a small bowl, add the eggs and whisk them together. Add some of the hot cream mixture to the eggs a little bit at a time to temper the eggs. whisk together until smooth and add it to the saucepan. Whisk together and mix in the paresan cheese. Set aside.

Fill the zucchini boats with the meat sauce. Pour the bechamel on top.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour or until the zucchini is fork tender.