Stuffed Onions

trattoria della posta...is one of the restaurants in Piedmont listed in Bon Appetit's August 2010 issue.  The description of the eatery goes like this:


trattoria della posta
Housed in an old country estate outside the village of Monforte d'Alba, this spot has been feeding hungry travelers since 1875.  Dishes like baked onion filled with cheese; mini ravioli with fresh goat cheese topped with local sausage and leek sauce; and veal shank with Barolo exemplify the eatery's old-school approach.
Localita Sant'Anna 87, Monforte d'Alba;
011-39-0173-781-20;
trattoriadellaposta.it


A picture at the top of the page shows us what their baked onion looks like.  The crisp, papery outer skin is kept on the onion, charred around the edges.  The onion is cored, and one can see traces of the golden browning of cheese inside.  A sprig or rosemary is placed for adornment in the onion like an anchored flag as (what looks to be) shredded parmesan cheese dusted the plate.


My immediate reaction was: what a great idea!  Why hadn't I thought of stuffing an onion??


The next day I went to the grocery store and purchased two yellow onions and feta cheese.  When I had time to cook, I took out my onions, rinsed them, and began coring.  Since I also had a fresh, garden-grown zucchini and a package of unopened carrots; I decided I'd roast those too.  I chopped the zucchini, peeled and chopped the carrots; arranged them onto a pan, drizzling olive oil, salt & pepper, along with a sprinkle of dried thyme.  With the onion pieces I had carved out, I chopped those, put them into a bowl and added feta cheese with it.  Then I added some olive oil, salt & pepper and also some dried thyme.  I arranged the two onions in the center of the pan and roasted them in a 375 degree oven first for 15 minutes.  

After taking a peek at the onions I decided to add another 15 minutes. By that time, the vegetables look adequately roasted.