Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Delicious Zucchini Boats are quick and easy to make with Italian sausage, marinara, and Mozzarella cheese. They are low cab, keto-friendly, and perfect for using up all that summer garden zucchini.

Course main meal zucchini

Cuisine American

Keyword how long to bake zucchini boats, how to make zucchini boats, stuffed zucchini boats, zucchini boat recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 593kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage
½ cup onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups marinara sauce
4 medium zucchini
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to make cleanup easier.
Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the sausage is about two-thirds browned, add the onions and cook until the sausage is browned and the onions are soft. Drain any excess grease from the sausage mixture.
Reduce the heat to low, and the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Stir in the marinara and simmer while you prepare the zucchini for stuffing.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and hollow out the center using a melon baller or metal spoon, leaving about a 1/4 inch of the flesh and skin on the sides and bottom. Do not peel, and do not precook.
Sprinkle the zucchini with a healthy amount of freshly ground black pepper. Spoon the sausage mixture into the zucchini, and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and half the parsley.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Top with the remaining chopped fresh parsley, and for best results, serve promptly.

Notes

Choose medium to large zucchini for this recipe. But not overgrown zucchini, as their skins can be pretty tough.
You can use ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, or Italian Sausage, as all are delicious.
Use a melon baller or teaspoon to gently remove the flesh inside the zucchini reserving a 1/4-1/2 inch shell for the stuffing. This is why it is called a boat.
Try different cheeses to suit your taste, like mozzarella, provel, provolone, ricotta, and Parmesan.
Withhold the salt when it comes to seasoning the zucchini directly before baking. It will make the zucchini soggy. Season with salt when serving.
Enjoy this recipe promptly while the stuffing is hot, the cheese is melted, and the zucchini is tender but not soggy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at a low temp or in the microwave at reduced power.
I do not recommend freezing this zucchini recipe.

Nutrition