Stuffed Marrows - Qarabaghli mimli

Very common in the Maltese household, these stuffed marrows are just as good cold. Other recipes use rikotta for the filling but I prefer the traditional way.

Ingredients
800 grms large marrows - not "zucchini" type but if only those are available use the largest possible.
1 large onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
2 fresh bay leaves
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tbls tomato paste
600 grams minced beef (Traditionally, 300gms meat and 300gms corned beef - the type you get in a can- was used - frugal gourmet style!)
150 grams of bacon (vegetarians can use 700gms of ricotta mixed with some parsley and a bit of milk)
2 eggs beaten
4 tbls of grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Semolina
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F
2. Cut the marrows lengthwise in half and scoop out the insides with a teaspoon. Reserve about half the pulp.
3. Fry the onion, garlic and bay in some olive oil until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for a further few minutes.
4. Place the bacon in a food processor and blend until finely minced.
5. Add the beef and bacon to the onion mix and cook until done. (vegetarians, add the ricotta mix)
6. Stir in the marrow pulp and then allow to cool.
7. Once cool add the eggs and cheese and season the mixture to taste.
8. Fill the marrow halves with the meat mixture and then lightly sprinkle with semolina. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and then drizzle a little more olive oil over the filled marrows
9. Bake for about 45 minutes until the meat mixture is golden and crisp. Another alternative is to slice about 6 potatoes and an onion and place them on a dish, then add the stuffed marrows and cook the whole thing together. A great meal in one dish!