Stuffed Bubangos: A Simple Recipe
For the filling, I have chosen a primarily vegetable-based mixture topped with a bit of cheese. However, you can customise this filling to your liking by adding some meat, bacon, ham, or anything else you prefer.
Ingredients:
4 medium Bubangos
500 grams of mushrooms
2 medium onions
2 large carrots
3 cloves of garlic
100 grams of grated cheese
1/2 cup of milk (about 125 ml)
5 tablespoons of olive oil (about 50 ml)
a pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
Instructions:
First, prepare the Bubangos by scooping out the flesh and using it for the filling. Clean the zucchinis under running water to remove any dirt. Then, cut them in half lengthwise and boil them in salted water (half a teaspoon of salt for every 2 litres of water).
Let them cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
While the Bubangos are cooking, prepare the other vegetables for the filling. Clean and chop the mushrooms. Peel and grate the carrot. Peel the onion and garlic, then chop them finely.
Once the Bubangos are tender, drain them well. If they have many seeds, scoop them out with a small spoon and discard them. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the Bubangos carefully, keeping the skin intact for later filling. Chop the flesh and set it aside.
Now that we have the flesh of the Bubangos, we can start on the filling. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and half a teaspoon of salt. After a couple of minutes, add the chopped garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes before adding the chopped Bubango flesh, mushrooms, and grated carrot.
Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Then add the milk, nutmeg, and ground pepper. Keep it on medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly (it should not be runny).
The filling is now ready. Distribute the mixture among the prepared Bubangos. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and place them in the oven at 180°C until the cheese melts and turns slightly golden.
Learn more about Bubango, a unique variety of zucchini from our land.
The Bubango is the fruit of the annual herbaceous plant called Bubanguera, belonging to the gourd family. The Bubango resembles zucchini but is a native variety from the Canary Islands. Although the exact origin of the Bubango is not well known, historical references indicate it was created over a century ago through a cross between pumpkins and zucchinis brought from America. Thus, the Bubango is a unique species in the world, celebrated for its incomparable flavour and aroma, a blend of zucchini and something similar to pumpkin.
Historically, Bubango cultivation primarily occurred in the Anaga region, La Vega lagunera, and other mid-elevation areas of Tenerife. However, today we can find it on other islands, still bearing the same name but featuring different characteristics and qualities.
