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Eva Longoria teaches us how to prepare a ‘warm and comforting’ meal that connects with her Mexican roots. It’s a good recipe for the whole family because the kids can help fill the little boats before baking, and they’re fun to eat. My sisters and I used to play with them at the table,’ says the star of Desperate Housewives.
Her zucchini, which features a savory turkey interior, is one of her family’s favorite dishes, which she immortalized in her second cookbook ‘My Mexican Kitchen: 100 Recipes Full of Tradition, Flavor and Spice‘ (2024), as well as her recipe for Mexican toasts that she versioned with Brookyln Beckham.
Longoria, who also owns a tequila brand called Casa del Sol, advises buying larger zucchini ‘that are easier to hold while scraping out the seeds and soft core’.
The process, step by step
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until translucent and beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
2. Add turkey, Italian seasoning, ground red pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; cook, stirring often to crumble turkey, until browned, about 7 minutes. Move the turkey mixture to one side of the pan with a large spoon to remove and discard excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to low; and stir sauce until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. With a small spoon, carefully scrape the seeds and soft core from each zucchini half. Season each “little boat” with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; place them on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spoon the turkey mixture into each of the little boats and top with Parmesan.
5. Bake the zucchini until fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Finally, sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.
