These Stuffed Zucchini Boats are filled with a rich meat sauce, then topped with mozzarella cheese and baked until golden brown and bubbly. They're a wonderful low-carb and healthy dinner for the whole family!
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Try my Cheesy Taco Pasta or Stuffed Pepper Soup next!
About This Recipe
This has to be my new favorite way to eat zucchinis! I usually eat them as a snack or saute them as a quick side dish, but I've never had them as the main course before. That all changes in this recipe! Another bonus is that this recipe uses up a LOT of zucchini. So if you're like my family and have a garden full of them, this is the perfect recipe for you.
The meat sauce is made with a combination of ground beef, onions, garlic, and pasta sauce. You'll want to simmer the sauce so that most of its water content is evaporated. This will prevent the filling from being too soggy as the zucchini will introduce some water into it as it bakes.
When I say this was one of my favorite dinners in the last few months, I'm not kidding. The zucchini comes out incredibly juicy and pairs so deliciously with the rich meat sauce. It's low-carb too, so if you're on one of those New Year's diets, this is just all the better for you.
If you're looking for some other zucchini recipes, try my zucchini bread, which is one of my most popular recipes!
Key Ingredients
Zucchinis: Try to find medium-large zucchinis so you can fill them up with more of the meat sauce.
Ground beef: I used lean ground beef. Italian sausages are a great option as well.
Onions & garlic: For savory depth.
Marinara sauce (or pasta sauce): An easy hack to get a flavorful meat sauce quickly.
Seasoning: You'll need Italian seasoning and black pepper.
Cheese: I like mozzarella cheese or pizza cheese because it melts nicely and crisps up in the oven.
Parsley: This is mainly to add some color on top. You can omit this if you don't want to buy a bunch of parsley for one recipe.
Instructions
STEP 1: Slice the zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the centers.
STEP 2: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, onions, and garlic until the beef is no longer pink, 6-7 minutes.
STEP 3: Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it bubble for 5 minutes.
STEP 4: Spoon the meat sauce evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with the shredded cheese.
STEP 5: Bake for 23-25 minutes until the cheese is golden. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
๐ Recipe
Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or Italian sausage)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups marinara sauce (or pasta sauce)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ยผ teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ยฐF and grease a large baking dish.
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the centers.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, onions, and garlic until the beef is no longer pink, 6-7 minutes.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it bubble for 5 minutes.
- Spoon the meat sauce evenly into the zucchini shells, then top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes until the cheese is golden. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
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