Easy Italian Spiced Zucchini-Pork and Potato Bowl

This simple Italian spiced zucchini-pork and potato bowl is truly a comfort dish, with parsley and olive oil seasoned cooked potatoes—a perfect family dinner recipe!

Also, try my Cast-Iron Pork Chops recipe with apples, squash, and refried beans.

A few notes

• Simple seasoning and ingredients such as rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and zucchini make this dish extra soft and rich in flavor.
• The vegetables are cooked and flavored first before we add the ground pork. I prefer to transfer the vegetables to a bowl and then cook the pork separately in the same skillet.
• When the pork is soft and tender, I add the veggies back in before adding the tomato paste and any additional seasoning. Preparing the meat separately allows me to control its seasoning better and, thus, its flavors.
• The flavors combine better with the zucchini when the meat is juicy, tender, and just done. The soft juices of the vegetable-meat dish are then soaked in the Yukon potatoes—cooked al dente to contrast the softness of the meat.
• I let the potatoes sit covered in their heat for a few minutes when cooked. I then season them with some olive oil, salt, and parsley. It gives them a creamy consistency and a hearty taste.
• You can immediately serve the potatoes separately or combine them with the vegetable-meat dish.

Any leftovers can be warmed up on the stove for a few minutes. The pure Italian flavors immediately return over medium heat!

Enjoy!

📖 Recipe

Easy Italian Spiced Zucchini, Pork, and Potato Bowl

Mariska Ramondino

This simple Italian pork recipe is truly a comfort dish and it pairs perfectly with parsley and olive oil seasoned cooked potatoes—a perfect family dinner recipe!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Courses

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 8 - 9 medium-sized Yukon potatoes peeled and quartered
• ▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic chopped
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 1 ½ pounds zucchini chopped (about 4 to 5 medium-sized zucchini)
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 2 pounds ground pork
• ▢ Dried rosemary
• ▢ 4 tablespoons tomato paste unseasoned, optional
• ▢ 1 handful fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

 

• Place the potatoes in a pot and add enough water to cover them barely. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until they are just tender (about 6-8 minutes). You don't want to overcook them. They should instead have an al dente quality (firm to the bite) and fully retain its shape. Drain and set aside, covered.
• In the meantime, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook and stir the garlic for 10 seconds (to release its aroma). Toss in the onions. Cook and stir for one minute. Then add the zucchini—season everything with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook and frequently stir until the zucchini is soft (about 10 minutes).
• Break the ground pork into small chunks and add to the skillet. Using a wooden spoon start breaking down the meat further into tiny pieces while stirring it in with the rest of the ingredients—season with salt and royally with pepper and dried rosemary. Cook and stir until thoroughly cooked but not browned (10 minutes).
• Stir in the tomato paste add more seasonings to taste. Cook and stir for another minute, then remove from the stove. Transfer to a large serving plate or bowl.
• Place the reserved potatoes separately in a large bowl. Cover with one to two tablespoons of olive oil. Season lightly with salt and combine with fresh parsley. Either serve separately with the zucchini-pork bowl or toss the seasoned potatoes into the meat mixture and serve as one large dish.

Notes

I don't brown the ground pork with this recipe. The flavors come better together with the zucchini when the meat is juicy, tender and just done. The soft juices of the vegetable-meat dish are then soaked in by the Yukon potatoes—cooked al dente to contrast the softness of the meat.

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Nutrition (% Daily value)

Calories: 951kcal (48%)Carbohydrates: 92g (31%)Protein: 35g (70%)Fat: 50g (77%)Saturated Fat: 15g (94%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 109mg (36%)Sodium: 1085mg (47%)Potassium: 2843mg (81%)Fiber: 13g (54%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 569IU (11%)Vitamin C: 121mg (147%)Calcium: 101mg (10%)Iron: 6mg (33%)

Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.

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