Do you need to peel the zucchini first?

There’s no need to peel the zucchini shells for this recipe. In fact, most of the vitamins and nutrients are in the skin rather than the zucchini flesh. So, leaving it intact helps ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

What are your suggestions to build a meal around this as the main dish?

Made with protein, nutrients, fat, and fiber, this recipe can serve as a main course on its own. However, if you want to round it out, we recommend pairing the zucchini boats with a carb source such as rice , quinoa, potatoes , or bread.

Can I use a different kind of cheese instead of mozzarella?

Yes, feel free to use any cheese you like best! Ricotta, parmesan cheese, Swiss, or provolone all work well to add a delicious cheesy flavor and a boost of calcium.

What are some creative stuffing ideas for vegetarian zucchini boats?

Omit the meat, and replace it with a crumbled meat alternative, crumbled tempeh, or legumes such as black beans or chickpeas. You can even substitute leftover taco meat.

What kind of ground meat is best for stuffed zucchini boats?

Slightly fattier meat is best for stuffed zucchini. We prefer to use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. However, ground turkey, bison, or venison works well, too. Whatever you use, be sure to cook it in a large skillet until golden brown and cooked through.

Simple Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Servings: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini, uniform size
½ lb. ground Italian sausage (may use pork or chicken)
½ lb. ground meat of choice (beef, chicken, pork or turkey)
½ small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 oz.) canned diced tomatoes, drained
2 handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon fine salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees. Wash and halve the zucchini lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop the insides out, about ½-inch deep (depending on size) leaving ¼ inch around the edge.
Chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh and reserve for step 4.
Place the zucchini halves on a baking sheet, and mist both sides with cooking spray. Position the halves cut side up and bake for 6 minutes. When the baking time is up, remove from the oven and set aside.
While the zucchini is baking, prepare the sausage filling. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, mist with cooking spray and add the ground sausage, ground beef (or other ground meat), the reserved chopped zucchini, onion, and garlic.
Break up the ground meat using a spatula and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the onions have softened.
Add the drained tomatoes, spinach, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook 3-4 minutes or until the spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally.
Stir 1 cup mozzarella cheese into the filling mixture.
Next, stuff the partially-baked zucchini with the filling mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the filling.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted.
If desired, top with fresh basil just before serving.

Notes

May use 1 lb of ground Italian sausage or 1 lb of any ground meat in place of the 1/2 lb Italian sausage + 1/2 lb ground meat

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 2 stuffed zucchini halves
Calories: 420
Fat: 28 g
(Sat Fat: 13 g)
Sodium: 880 mg
Carbohydrate: 12 g
(Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 30 g
Cholesterol: 101 mg

Dietary

Egg-Free Gluten-free Grain-Free Nut-free

Recipe By: Jessica Beacom