There are so many different ways to eat zucchini, I often serve side dishes such as parmesan zucchini and zucchini gratin. But my favorite way to make zucchini is to stuff it and serve it as a main course.
Stuffed zucchini boats is a classic dish that never goes out of style. It’s an especially good choice during the summer when everyone’s gardens are overflowing with squash. What I love about this dish is that it’s easy to customize the flavors to your liking and is naturally low in carbs!
How do you make stuffed zucchini boats?
This recipe starts with zucchini, which are hollowed out, seasoned, then placed in a baking dish. A simple meat sauce is made with Italian sausage, marinara sauce, garlic and onions. The sauce gets piled into the zucchini shells, then everything is topped with cheese and baked until gooey and browned.
Tips for stuffed zucchini boats
You can use mild or hot Italian sausage, pork or turkey sausage, or even ground beef for this recipe. Use your favorite brand of marinara sauce. I typically use Newman’s Own or Classico. You can also make this recipe with yellow squash, or even hollowed out small eggplants! While I typically use mozzarella cheese in this dish, other great choices would be parmesan, fontina or provolone. Dried Italian seasoning can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores, or you can use my Italian seasoning recipe to make your own.
Can you freeze zucchini boats?
I don’t recommend freezing zucchini boats, simply because the zucchini will be quite mushy upon thawing. That being said, you can absolutely freeze the meat filling for these boats for up to 2 months. Simply thaw the filling, spoon it into fresh zucchinis, then add cheese and bake.
Stuffed Zucchini Boat Variations
This is an Italian style stuffed zucchini, but there are so many other great ways to fill your squash!
Mexican: Make a filling with 1 lb ground beef, 16 ounces tomato sauce, 4 ounces diced green chiles, 3/4 cup black beans and 1/2 cup corn, then top with cheddar cheese and bake. Asian: Make the filling for my chicken lettuce wraps, spoon it into the zucchini, then bake. Vegetarian: Make a filling with sauteed onion, 2 cups cooked grains such as rice or quinoa, 1 diced red bell pepper, salt, pepper, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, and fresh herbs.
Is zucchini healthy?
Zucchini is packed with nutrients such as folate, Vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, Vitamin C and and Vitamin K. Zucchini is low calorie, low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. Zucchini also protects against inflammation, aids in digestion, improves thyroid function and is beneficial for your eyes. This recipe is a great way to get some veggies into your kids. You can even assemble your zucchini boats earlier in the day, then store them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them. I make this recipe all the time and it always gets rave reviews!
More great Italian recipes
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Pizza Pasta Penne alla Vodka Chicken Alfredo Dip Meatball Soup
