Stuffed courgettes with ricotta

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Halve the courgettes (abobrinha) lengthwise and scoop out the centres with a spoon, leaving 1 cm walls. Chop the scooped flesh. Blanch the halves for 3 minutes in boiling salted water, drain them cut side down and set them in a tray oiled with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
2. Seasoned beans (feijão temperado): drain and rinse the 800 g of canned black beans (2 tins; the tin liquid is very salty). In a pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil, soften half an onion, chopped, for 3 minutes and add 2 garlic cloves, chopped, for 1 minute. Add a ladle of beans and mash them with the spoon into a purée (this is what thickens the broth). Add the rest of the beans, 400 ml of water and the bay leaf, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the broth thickens. Season with salt and pepper. If starting from dried beans, soak 250 g overnight (8–12 h) and pressure-cook them for 25–30 minutes once the cooker hisses.
3. Fluffy white rice (arroz branco soltinho): boil 750 ml of water in a kettle. In a medium pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil and soften the other half of that onion, finely chopped, with a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes. Add the 300 g of long-grain rice and stir for 1 minute until every grain is coated in fat. Pour in the boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir once and cook uncovered over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until the water drops to the level of the rice. Lower the heat, partly cover and cook 8 more minutes until dry. Turn off the heat, cover tightly, rest 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
4. Filling: chop the other onion, 1 garlic clove and the deseeded tomatoes. In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the rest of the olive oil and soften the onion for 4 minutes, the garlic for 1 minute, then the courgette flesh and tomato for 5 minutes until dry. Season with salt and pepper and let it cool a little.
5. Roughly chop the walnuts and cashews. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, cream, half the parmesan, the cooked vegetables, half the nuts and the chopped chives; adjust the salt.
6. Fill the courgette halves, sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and nuts and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and the courgettes are tender when pierced with a knife.
7. Serve two halves per person with the rice and beans.