Description
Delicious and hearty stuffed zucchini boats filled with savory Italian sausage, sautéed vegetables, tomato sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This easy-to-make recipe offers a flavorful low-carb meal that’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Meats
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
Cheeses
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Pantry Items & Seasonings
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to season the zucchini
- ¼ tsp pepper, plus more to season the zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy clean-up.
- Prepare the zucchini: Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise to create two long pieces per zucchini. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds and some pulp from the center to create hollowed-out zucchini boats. Discard or save the removed pulp for another use.
- Season the zucchini: Place the zucchini boats cut side up on the prepared sheet pan. Sprinkle them evenly with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the sausage and vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground Italian sausage, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper. Cook while crumbling the sausage until it is browned and the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add seasoning and tomato paste: Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir everything together and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Simmer with tomato sauce: Pour in the tomato sauce and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the filling to thicken slightly.
- Add basil and Parmesan cheese: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese until well combined.
- Stuff the zucchini boats: Spoon the sausage and vegetable mixture generously into the hollowed-out zucchini boats, spreading the filling evenly.
- Bake the stuffed zucchini: Place the tray with stuffed zucchini into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the zucchini is tender.
- Add mozzarella and finish baking: Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top of each stuffed zucchini boat. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy: Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving warm. Enjoy your delicious stuffed zucchini boats!
Notes
- You can substitute ground Italian sausage with ground turkey or beef for a different flavor.
- Saving the scooped-out zucchini pulp to add to soups or salads reduces waste.
- Fresh basil can be replaced with dried basil if unavailable; reduce quantity accordingly.
- For extra spice, add crushed red pepper flakes when cooking the sausage.
- To make this dish vegetarian, omit the sausage and use cooked lentils or mushrooms instead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: stuffed zucchini, zucchini boats, Italian sausage, baked zucchini, low carb dinner, Italian recipe, cheesy stuffed vegetables
