Stuffed courgettes

Method

1. Top and tail the courgettes and cut each into three barrels about 6 cm long. Hollow out each barrel with a small spoon or an apple corer, leaving a wall about 8 mm thick, and keep the scooped-out flesh.
2. Warm two tablespoons of the oil in a pan and cook one chopped onion gently until soft and just golden. Add half the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Take the pan off the heat before you stir in the paprika. Paprika burns in seconds in hot oil and turns bitter, and there is no rescuing the dish once it does.
4. Return the pan to a medium heat, add the mince and break it up as it browns. Stir in the rice, mint, Vegeta, salt, pepper and half the parsley, then 150 ml of the passata. Cook for five minutes and let it cool a little.
5. Fill each courgette barrel with the mixture, packing it loosely — the rice will swell and split anything stuffed tight. Stand them upright in an oiled baking dish.
6. Blend the reserved courgette flesh with the second onion, the remaining garlic and the rest of the passata. Season it, pour it around and over the courgettes, and add 100 ml of water.
7. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, then uncover and give it another 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the tops have taken some colour.
8. Rest for ten minutes, scatter with the remaining parsley and serve with cold yoghurt at the side.