These stuffed zucchini boats are made with a hearty Italian sausage filling, topped with cheese then baked until tender. An easy low carb dinner everyone will love!
We love zucchini as a side dish recipe! Other favorites include this fried zucchini recipe, zucchini fritters and grilled zucchini.
Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats
I don’t know about you, but a healthy dinner idea in the hot summer means I am looking for a low carb, light and easy-breezy meal. This stuffed zucchini boat recipe is a great way to make zucchini the main meal rather than just a side!
Similar to my stuffed spaghetti squash, zucchini boats are made by hollowing out the zucchini, stuffing them with saucy Italian sausage then topping them with cheese before baking until golden brown. It’s one of my favorite recipes with zucchini!
Zucchini Boats Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray: Needed to spray the baking dish so that once baked, the zucchini can be removed easily without getting stuck and falling apart.
- Zucchini: Look for medium zucchini. You’ll need about 6 of them. Wash them and let them dry completely.
- Salt & pepper: A little seasoning inside the zucchini before they go in for their first bake. Adds a little extra flavor to the base before adding the filling.
- Onion & minced garlic: Chopped yellow onion and minced garlic are a powerful duo of flavors that add layers of flavor to the sauce.
- Sausage: Mild Italian sausage is my favorite to use, but you can switch it for a different type of ground meat.
- Sauce: A homemade marinara sauce adds a ton of fresh ingredients to this recipe. Since it’s a simple dish I always like to make as much of it from scratch as I can.
- Italian seasoning: A blend of herbs that I like to keep on hand. Make it in a pinch and use it in everything!
- Cheese: Both parmesan and mozzarella. If you can, I encourage you to grate them both fresh from a block.
- Chopped fresh parsley: A little bit of green garnish for serving, if you like.
How to Make Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Prepare the zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the zucchini flesh. You don’t want to scoop out too close to the skin, leave about 1/4 inch around the rim. You want to keep it sturdy enough to hold the filling.
- Initial bake. Place hollowed-out zucchini boats on a baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Make the filling. While the zucchini is in the oven, spray a large skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent before crumbling up the sausage into the pan. Once the sauce has cooked through, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the marinara sauce and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff and bake the zucchini. Spoon in equal amounts of meat and sauce mixture into the center of each of the zucchini boats. Sprinkle parmesan and mozzarella cheese over top and bake for 15 minutes. The cheese will melt and the zucchini will become nice and tender!
- Serve. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats Variations
- Different protein. Ground beef, turkey sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken will also work. Add a bit more seasoning for flavor.
- More veggies. Toss in some extra vegetables while making the filling. I love adding diced mushrooms and bell peppers when I have them.
- A different cheese. Mozzarella and tomato sauce always pair well but you can swap it with your favorite cheese instead. Gruyere, Swiss, provolone, fontina, or even cheddar cheese.
- Make it vegetarian. Load up your stuffed zucchini boats with mushrooms and cooked rice instead!
- Breadcrumbs for crunch. Homemade breadcrumbs add nice crunch. Sprinkle the mixture over top and bake.
- A different filling altogether. Fill it up with taco meat and cheese, then serve it with sour cream and salsa for example. I have used homemade spaghetti sauce as well!
Storage
Keep any leftovers stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing cooked zucchini. When it thaws, it will become mushy.
More Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Chicken Stuffed Peppers: Made with only 5 ingredients.
- Lettuce Wrap Burger: A healthier twist on a classic hamburger.
- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Can be made 4 different ways.
- Egg Roll in a Bowl: An easy one pot dish made in 20 minutes.
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Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 5 medium zucchini (about 6 ounces each)
- Salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 2 cloves minced garlic (2 teaspoons)
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- Chopped fresh parsley , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the centers of the zucchini, leaving a 1/4-inch rim around the edges, to create boats. Place on baking sheet. Lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes.
- Spray large skillet with olive oil cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they become soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, breaking into crumbles, and cook until cooked through. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in marinara and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Then spoon evenly into zucchini boats.
- Sprinkle parmesan and mozzarella cheese evenly over zucchini boats.
- Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Meat: You could also use turkey sausage or ground beef as well. You will need to season these a little more than Italian sausage.
- Vegetables: Feel free to mix in extra vegetables while cooking the meat. I love to add diced mushrooms and bell peppers when I have them.
- Breadcrumbs: If you’d like a crispier top, mix together the parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs to sprinkle over top.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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FAQs
Eat the skin! Zucchini peel is delicate, mild in flavor, and easily digestible, so you can eat the entire boat. It’s also got a ton of nutritional benefits.
First, you’ll want to cut it in half lengthwise to gain easy access to the center. Take one half of the zucchini in one hand and a spoon in the other hand. Hold the spoon so the back of the spoon is facing outward and pull down in a scraping motion until you’ve got just about 1/4 inch of the flesh left.
They are incredibly healthy! Zucchini offers a ton of nutrients like fiber, vitamins like such as vitamin C, vitamin A, minerals such as folate, antioxidants, and more. The Italian sausage provides protein, using fresh homemade sauces means you can control the amount of salt, refined sugars, or overall ingredients. It’s low in carbohydrates and low calories!
Complete your meal with a simple side salad such as this cucumber tomato salad. Don’t forget a basket of garlic bread too!
Although this zucchini recipe is meant to be a main dish, you can also serve everyone just one boat on the side of a delicious pasta dish like this caprese pasta bake.
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This is such a great way to use zucchini and my kids love them!
Yay! Happy to hear this meal was kid approved! :)
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family