I love recipes that seem fancy but are surprisingly easy to make like these stuffed Zucchini Boats! They’re one of my favorite ways to use up all of the zucchini that I purchase from the store or the local farmers market during the summertime. It’s the perfect weeknight recipe for meat and veggie lovers and it’s very easy to customize. And since zucchini has a fairly neutral flavor, the Italian-inspired flavors of this dish really get to shine. So if you’re looking for something new to add to your dinner rotation this week, these delicious zucchini boats definitely will not disappoint!
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“Made these tonight using my own pasta sauce with caramelized mushrooms and 1/2 of the scooped out pulp. Don’t skip the step of baking empty zucchini boats as it is what keeps it from being too mushy. My veggie hater husband had seconds! I will definitely add to my menu rotation!”
SHARON
Easy Zucchini Boats
When zucchini season hits, I’m always looking for new ways to use up my garden haul, and these Zucchini Boats have quickly become one of my favorites. They’re hearty, versatile, and the perfect way to turn fresh zucchini into a full meal. I love how easy they are to customize with whatever ingredients I have on hand—plus, they’re budget-friendly and a great way to sneak some extra veggies onto the dinner table. Whether you’re using up leftovers or starting from scratch, these zucchini boats are always a win!
Zucchini Boats
Servings 4 (2 zucchini boats each)Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini (about 2 lbs.)* ($3.00)
- 1.5 Tbsp cooking oil, divided ($0.08)
- 1 lb. Italian ground sausage** ($3.57)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced ($0.70)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided ($0.04)
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce ($0.97)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs ($0.12)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella ($1.25)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wash the zucchini well, trim off the top stem, then slice each one in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or a melon baller to remove the flesh from the center of the zucchini halves, leaving a 1/4-1/2 inch rim around each. Roughly chop the scooped out zucchini flesh into small pieces and set aside.
- Place the scooped out zucchini halves on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the insides of the zucchini with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pre-bake the zucchini in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 remove the zucchini from the oven and set aside.
- While the zucchini is baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Brown the Italian sausage.
- Once the sausage has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Next add the Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, garlic powder, marinara sauce, breadcrumbs, and half of the reserved & chopped zucchini flesh***. Stir to combine. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Next stuff the scooped out zucchini boats with the sausage mixture. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Place the zucchini boats back in the oven and back for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sausage mixture is bubbly around the sides. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
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Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Deep Stainless Steel Skillet*
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Zucchini Boats Step-by-Step Photos
Preheat the oven and prep the zucchini: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wash 4 large zucchini well, trim off the top stem, then slice each one in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or a melon baller to remove the flesh from the center of the zucchini halves, leaving a 1/4-1/2 inch rim around each. Roughly chop the scooped out zucchini flesh into small pieces and set aside.
Pre-bake the zucchini: Place the scooped out zucchini halves on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the insides of the zucchini with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Pre-bake the zucchini in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 remove the zucchini from the oven and set aside.
Make the filling: While the zucchini is baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Brown 1 lb. of Italian sausage. Once the sausage has browned, add 1 diced yellow onion and 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Next add 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 3/4 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, and half of the reserved & chopped zucchini flesh. Stir to combine. (For the other half of the zucchini flesh, it’s perfect to freeze and add it to a green smoothie for breakfast. This also helps reduce food waste!)
Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Stuff the zucchinis: Next stuff the scooped out zucchini boats with the sausage mixture. I stuffed each one with about 2-3 Tbsp of the sausage mixture.
Top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake again: Place the zucchini boats back in the oven and back for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sausage mixture is bubbly around the sides.
Serve: Garnish with fresh chopped parsley (optional) and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These zucchini boats are pretty hearty by themselves, but if you want to serve something with them on the side you could easily add a simple Caesar salad or some crusty garlic bread. They would also taste great with seasoned rice on the side.
Want to change up the flavor profile? Instead of Italian flavors try Mexican-inspired flavors. Season the ground meat with taco seasoning and salsa, add the filling to the zucchini boats, then top with shredded Mexican cheese. Once the boats are done you can top them with some diced tomatoes, cilantro, or avocado. So good!!
How to Store
I’ll be honest, I love eating leftovers of these. Yes they do get a little soggy after being stored in the fridge, but they still have a little bite to them and all those wonderful flavors from the filling are still there. So if you happen to have any leftover, you can definitely store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They’ll be perfect for lunch the next day! I wouldn’t recommend freezing them as they might be too mushy and watery after thawing.
I stuffed this into bell peppers instead of zucchini. A++
Hi, I saw in the comments that the old version of this recipe is no longer online. I’m going to give the new version a try, but can I get the old version emailed to me as well?
Just emailed it to you!
Very good recipe!! Fresh, delicious and healthy.
My Italian mom would be so proud of you!!!
Yes, I am human.
Made these tonight using my own pasta sauce with caramelized mushrooms and 1/2 of the scooped out pulp. Don’t skip the step of baking empty zucchini boats as it is what keeps it from being too mushy. My veggie hater husband had seconds! I will definitely add to my menu rotation!
So Delicious! There are just 2 of us so I froze half of the filling and made it again the following week with new “boats”. A quick and easy dinner!
Really easy and yummy! Great way to use the zukes from my garden.
Will probably skip the breadcrumbs next time to make it low-carb, and/ or add some red pepper flakes or use hot sausage to give it some kick.
Cann final baking step be left for the next day?
That should be just fine!
Newbie here. Do you actually EAT the zucchini flesh which makes up the boat? Or is the zucchini itself basically a cooking vessel for the sausage/etc?
You eat the whole thing!
Step 5 says to use 1/2 of the reserved zucchini flesh. The recipe doesn’t say when to add the other 1/2 of the mixture.
OMGosh, those look so yummy, I’ll be making these Thursday. I’ll let you know how it comes out…
To be continued….
Tried these the other night and they turned out great! Wonderful recipe.😊
Had to make some substitutes for what was available at my grocery store, but holy delicious batman! Wound up using Mexican zucchini, hot sausage, and adding small white beans. Will definitely be making again.
Thanks Maria! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
Delicious!!!
I forgot how much I love zucchini boats until I saw your post! Trying to reduce carbs so will make these for me next time I make spaghetti for my husband
Thanks for the recipe!
I’ll these next week. I have had some similar ones and they were delish!