I had never had Zucchini Boats until very recently. It was always a dish I rolled my eyes at, like most low-carb or make-shift sort of dishes. I must say though, I was totally wrong to do so, because they’re delicious! So delicious, I’ve included our stuffed zucchini boats recipe in my regular rotation of dinners at home!
Our recipe is filled with Italian sausage, marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, and herbs (like a low-carb sausage pizza), but the possibilities are endless! There are so many different things our zucchini boats recipe can be stuffed with and I’m all about it.
How to Make Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
Process
- Preheat oven. Place a medium pan over heat and add some olive oil. Add sausage and brown, breaking up until mixture looks crumbled.
- Transfer sausage to a plate, using a slotted spoon, and clean out excess grease from pan. Return pan to heat and add more oil. Stir in onions and garlic and sauté until slightly translucent.
- Return sausage to pan along with basil and oregano. Stir together until mixture is evenly combined.
- Add marinara sauce, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Once mixture has cooled, fold in shredded mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Slice each zucchini lengthwise.
- Using a spoon, carefully scoop flesh from each zucchini half.
- Stuff each hollowed zucchini with sausage mixture.
- Top with some grated Parmesan.
- Place zucchini on a greased baking sheet and bake zucchini boats until zucchinis have softened and cheese has melted.
Tools You Will Need
- cutting board
- knife
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cups
- sauté pan
- wooden spoon
- melon baller or small metal spoon
- baking sheet
- spatula
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Use a melon baller to scoop the flesh from the zucchinis – I’ve found melon ballers and their sharper edges make scooping out the zucchini flesh much easier than a spoon, without piercing through the skin.
- Score the perimeter of the part of the zucchini you want to scoop with a paring knife – Even if you don’t have a melon baller, scoring the perimeter of each zucchini half will make scooping the flesh out much easier overall.
Prep and Make Ahead Instructions for Zucchini Boats
Prepping Ingredients
Half and scoop zucchini up to 3 days head of time. Store the hollowed halves in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the sausage and marinara filling up to 3 days ahead of time. Store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Don’t add the shredded cheese to the filling mixture until you’re ready to fill and bake the zucchini.
Make Ahead
Make zucchini boats up to 2 days ahead of time. Store the boats in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to reheat.
Reheat in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Alternatively reheat them in the oven. Place the zucchini boats in a lightly greased baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake them at 350˚F for about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with more Parmesan, fresh basil leaves and red pepper flakes and serve.
Can Zucchini Boats be Frozen?
Unfortunately I really do not recommend freezing zucchini boats. The zucchini will turn very soft and mushy when they are thawed and reheated.
You can freeze the meat and marinara filling for up to 3 months. Cool the mixture completely, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze. To thaw, transfer the mixture in the bag, to the refrigerator and thaw overnight.
Variations
The possibilities for our zucchini boats recipe are endless. There are so many different and delicious things you can stuff into hollowed out zucchini and we’ve listed some of our favorites below!
- Make it into a low-carb ground beef taco with seasoned ground beef topped with shredded cheese. Once it’s out of the oven top it with a couple dollops of sour cream, diced tomato and shredded iceberg lettuce!
- Swap the sausage out for mini pepperoni or mushrooms, bell peppers and sliced black olives or a mix of all of the supreme pizza toppings!
- Turn the zucchini boats vegetarian with a mixture of lentils, black beans, brown rice, and shredded gruyere. Add whatever seasonings you prefer like garlic powder, cumin and dried oregano (or even your favorite Italian seasoning) for a delicious and healthy meal!
- You can also keep it vegetarian friendly by simply replacing the animal protein for things like pressed and crumbled tofu or creamy white beans!
What to Serve with Our Zucchini Boats Recipe
Zucchini boats are hearty enough to be served on their own, but we also love serving them with a little something on the side. Some of our favorite things to serve them with are:
- Broccoli Crunch Salad
- Garlic Bread
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Cheesy Garlic and Herb Pane Bianco
- Everyday Simple Side Salad
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes You Will Love
Zucchini Boats
INGREDIENTS
- 4 zucchini
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 finely diced yellow onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 2 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon minced basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons minced oregano
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place a medium pan over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add sausage and brown, 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up until mixture looks crumbled.
- Transfer sausage to a plate, using a slotted spoon, and clean out excess grease from pan.
- Return pan to medium heat and add remaining oil. Stir in onions and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly translucent.
- Return sausage to pan along with basil and oregano. Stir together until mixture is evenly combined.
- Add marinara sauce, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool, about 30 minutes.
- Once mixture has cooled, fold in shredded mozzarella.
- Slice each zucchini lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scoop flesh from each zucchini half.
- Place each zucchini half, cut side up, onto a greased baking sheet.
- Stuff each hollowed zucchini with sausage mixture and top with half the grated Parmesan.
- Bake zucchini boats for 20 to 22 minutes or until zucchinis have softened and cheese has melted.
- Remove boats from oven and cool, about 5 minutes. Top with basil leaves, red pepper flakes and serve.
NOTES
- Use a melon baller to scoop the flesh from the zucchinis – I’ve found melon ballers and their sharper edges make scooping out the zucchini flesh much easier than a spoon, without piercing through the skin.
- Score the perimeter of the part of the zucchini you want to scoop with a paring knife – Even if you don’t have a melon baller, scoring the perimeter of each zucchini half will make scooping the flesh out much easier overall.
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!
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Hey Jenny! I actually thought this was kind of intimidating to make, but it was actually soo easy! Besides mozzarella, I made use of the extra Monterey jack that I already had. I love how they turned out! One question though, What brand of marinara sauce did you use?
I’m so happy you loved these! Yes, much easier than it seems! When I get store bought marinara my go-to is always Rao’s!