Air Fryer Recipe
Mushroom and Walnut Stuffed Courgettes
Mushrooms and walnuts provide a wonderfully earthy filling for courgettes in this simple recipe that’s perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized courgettes
- 200g mushrooms, finely chopped
- 75g walnuts, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 50g parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Juice of half a lemon
- A few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
Method
- Wash the courgettes thoroughly. Slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the center seeds to create small boats.
- In a medium frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic, sauté until softened. Stir in chopped mushrooms and cook until they release moisture and start to brown. Add chopped walnuts, salt, and pepper, cook for another 3-4 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice into the mixture and stir in half of the parsley.
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C (350°F). Fill each courgette boat with the mushroom and walnut mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan if using. Place in air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 12-15 minutes until courgettes are tender and tops are golden brown.
- Remove courgettes from air fryer. Garnish with leftover parsley and extra lemon juice if desired.
Why this works in an air fryer
Pre-cooking the mushroom filling drives off water before it goes into the courgette, so the air fryer can brown the nuts, cheese and exposed edges rather than steam them. The hollowed courgette softens quickly in dry convection, while walnuts add fat and rough surface area for faster toasting.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket that fits 8 courgette halves in one loose layer; in a smaller single-drawer model cook in two batches, while dual-zone fryers need the halves split evenly and may take 1–2 minutes longer because each drawer has less airflow.
Common pitfalls
- Watery filling pooling in the boats after cooking means the mushrooms were not reduced enough; cook them until the pan looks almost dry before stuffing.
- Courgette collapsing or turning translucent before the top browns means the boats were scooped too thin; leave at least 8–10mm of flesh and reduce the air-fryer time by 2 minutes.
- Pale, soft topping at minute 12 usually means overcrowding or damp parmesan; leave gaps between boats and add 2–3 minutes, or finish at 190°C for the last 2 minutes.
- Walnuts tasting bitter with dark specks means they have scorched; chop them coarsely rather than finely and stir them into the filling only for the final 3–4 minutes in the pan.
Variations & substitutions
- Use chestnut mushrooms instead of white mushrooms for a deeper flavour; they release slightly less water, so the pan stage may be a minute shorter.
- Swap walnuts for hazelnuts or pine nuts; both brown faster than walnuts, so watch the topping closely in the final few minutes.
- Replace parmesan with crumbled feta; it will soften rather than brown, so add it after air frying if you want a fresher, sharper finish.
- Add cooked lentils to the stuffing for more bulk; keep the quantity modest and drain them well or the courgettes will steam rather than roast.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers chilled for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 170°C for 5–7 minutes until hot through, adding a minute or two if reheating from very cold.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
