Kousa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini)

Rinse the rice, cover it with hot water and let soak for 30 minutes, then drain well. Wash the zucchini, trim off the ends, and carefully hollow out the centers, leaving walls about 5 mm thick.

Combine the drained rice, ground beef, finely chopped onion, 1 tsp salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Don't pack the filling too tightly, as the rice will expand during cooking.

Fill the zucchini with the stuffing to about three-quarters full, leaving room inside for the rice to expand. Cap the openings with small pieces of tomato, or simply leave them open.

Heat olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot. If you like, quickly sear the stuffed zucchini on all sides until lightly golden, without drying them out.

For the sauce, combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed garlic, hot water, and the remaining salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Gently place the zucchini into the boiling tomato sauce; the liquid should come almost to the top of them. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 40–50 minutes, until the zucchini and the rice inside are tender.

If any filling is left over, add it to the sauce 20 minutes before the end of cooking and stir just once. Check the rice for doneness and adjust the salt.

Remove the pot from the heat, let the dish rest for 10 minutes, and serve the zucchini hot, ladled with the garlicky tomato sauce.